The Carver
by kp4377
Summary: The BAU's own are put in danger when a seemingly open and shut case quickly unravels. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_So I have to start off by apologizing. I know I promised an epilogue to Within Inches and this new story was actually that epilogue. It started to take on a life of its own and made more sense to be its own story. I do hope to write an epilogue eventually, but until then I hope you enjoy this story. It is going to be pretty fast paced and bumpy the whole time so hold on!_

_Please don't hesitate to let me know if the interest is there! Happy reading!_

_Oh and I do not own Criminal Minds or the characters. Of course if I did Emily Prentiss would not have been pushed to the background so much and she would still be there._

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_The Carver_

"_Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will."_

_-Mahatma Gandhi_

Loose pebbles scattered and flew up from the violent attack of tires as the FBI issued black Denali barreled down the abandoned road. The sirens shattered the still and silent air, and the flashing red and blue lights bounced off the passing trees illuminating the blackened night. Emily turned her head from the road briefly as the flash of blonde hair caught her attention.

JJ had pulled her hair tightly behind her head and then met Emily's dark eyes. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know," was all she could respond.

"Hotch and Morgan are okay." Reid interjected from the back. "They weren't in the house and we figured it out before the bomb detonated."

Emily felt her stomach turn at the thought of what happens when the monsters decide they are ideal targets. They had enough to deal with to separate themselves from the evil they hunted down, but when it penetrated through and attacked their core it was where she had to draw the line.

"It was only a matter of time before Tanner had figured we were onto him." JJ added.

"I know," Emily shook her head in disbelief and narrowed her eyes as if it would help to focus better, "but for him to deliberately set a trap for us brings this whole thing to a new level."

No one disagreed with the comment and the intense silence and concentration returned. A sudden blur of light came from off the road and streaked past them.

"That's him!" Spencer called out.

"Hold on!" Emily warned as she slammed the brakes and at the same time cranked the steering wheel to spin them around. The tires bit hard into the turn and even with the warning the other two were helpless to the force and their bodies were thrown to the side. Emily quickly countered the wheel to battle a spin out as they fishtailed. Once successfully straight she pumped the gas to test the traction before she floored it determined to not let the small red square of light retreat further into the distance.

"They're setting up a roadblock at the bridge." Garcia's voice suddenly appeared and cut through the tension filled cab.

JJ looked over to Emily and swiped an errand strand of blonde hair that had freed itself and fallen across her eyes. "Why would he risk going this way?"

"This is the only road in and out of town," Reid groaned as he righted himself from the g-force that had thrown him into the door. "He has no-where to go," he added in hopes to ease the urgency to catch up to the speeding cycle.

Emily didn't respond and kept her focus on the closing gap to their target. Her eyes followed the movements of the motorcycle as it began to weave back and forth in a taunting manner.

"What the hell is he doing?" She asked in confusion.

A brief flash of break lights answered the question and a plume of dust was kicked up when the motorcycle swerved onto the shoulder then turned off the road.

"Shit!" Emily cursed but reacted quickly. The SUV jolted and the tires squealed in response to the sharp turn.

"Hotch, he turned east down a dirt road roughly two miles from the bridge." JJ relayed to the trailing agents.

"This road was not on of the maps." Spencer said with frustrated confusion. He looked over to the folded paper beside him, but opted for the handle above him for support as they bounced down the uneven ground.

"He knows what he's doing." Emily said under her breath.

JJ turned her head to the brunette and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"He knows this place inside and out." Spencer said and leaned forward towards JJ. He placed a strong hand on the material of the passenger seat to stabilize him. "He saw the blockade and may see this as his chance to get away."

"Not if I can help it." Emily said and tightened her grip on the molded plastic.

The larger vehicle had little advantage to the nimble cycle as it cut through the rough and rocky terrain. The narrow road weaved around blind turns and rose and fell over steep hills. The undulations and potholes were unforgiving as it tossed the occupants around. The trees grew thicker as the road narrowed more and the darkness that surrounded created a claustrophobic feeling the deeper they drove. Visibility became nearly impossible and the lights that reflected off the cloud of dirt created in front of them only made it worse. The occasional flash of red let them know they still had a tail on him.

Emily began to negotiate the crest of another hill when the view cleared briefly to reveal the man's loss of control. The bike suddenly became unstable underneath him and shivered from one side to the other. He tried to turn the handle bar but the front wheel twisted as it collided with a large rock and abruptly halted his forward movement. He was immediately ejected out of the line of sight but returned just as fast and landed hard back onto the path.

"He's down! Look out!" JJ yelled and pointed through the dust-covered windshield.

Emily pressed the brakes hard and swerved away from the path in an attempt to miss the person that lay writhing on the ground. She tried to cut back sharply when she realized too late that their new direction was headed towards the solid mass of the hill.

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_Continue? Would love to hear from you! _

_As always thank you for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_WOW! What an initial first response! Thank you! I hope the story continues to captivate. Hold on tight because this is just the beginning!_

_Happy reading and please continue to give me your thoughts!_

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Emily felt the wheels lock up and there was no controlling the weight of the vehicle as it fishtailed down the incline. She tried to cut back once more but all they could do was brace for the inevitable impact.

The sounds amplified and reverberated through the cab. The whoosh of the airbags, the crackling and crunching of metal and plastic played out like a melody. Just as fast as it happened it was over. The dust settled slowly and a brief silence held them hostage as the initial shock of what occurred clung to the air.

Emily blinked quickly and stared at the deflating white material in front of her. Her immediate focus went to her own mental inventory. Satisfied that there was nothing more than small aches she turned her attention to the other passengers.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked and reached up for the twisted rearview mirror to focus it on the backseat.

Spencer adjusted himself to an upright position. He pressed the button for his seatbelt and met her eyes in the cracked glass.

"Fine," he forced out.

Emily's eyes shot to the frustrated movements next to her. JJ struggled to push the airbag back and release her belt. She shook her head and blinked to gain focus, "yeah, I'm good."

"Your nose is bleeding," Emily said and reached over to help with the belt.

"I'm fine," JJ snapped back. Once she freed herself from the restraint she began to struggle with the door handle. With an irritated sigh she kicked her door open.

Emily didn't think twice to the blonde's reaction, and turned back to getting herself out. She suddenly remembered the reason for the crash and her eyes darted back out through the windshield.

The one headlight that still worked broke through the darkness and exposed the spinning wheel of the now abandoned bike. Emily pushed her door open and eased out with her gun drawn in the direction of the still growling motorcycle. Her eyes followed the sudden but slow movement of a dark figure that moved outside the beam of light. She was about to call to him when shots rang out and the assault sent the agents behind their doors for cover.

"Where the hell is that coming from?" JJ yelled as she pushed herself down between the heavy steel and dirt hill.

Emily looked to the blonde but was unable to answer as the front window shattered and the bullet sprouted through. Emily flipped her head around to the direction of the gunshots, but immediately back when she heard the cry of pain escape from Spencer.

"Reid! Reid what happened?" She called out.

When he didn't answer right away she repeated herself. She was unable to see anything beyond his door, and became anxious for a verbal response from the younger agent.

"I'm hit." He finally cried out.

Emily could feel the pain that flooded his voice, and watched helplessly for a moment as he slowly sunk down to the ground making him clearly visible. With him no longer protected the urgency to move him overwhelmed her. Emily took a quick glance through the window and drew in a breath before she made an attempt to get him to safety. In one swift move she circled around his door and wrapped her arms around his waist to drag him to the other side of the large vehicle. Once clear she set him in the small space between the cold metal and the hill. Emily began to look over her injured friend not hesitating to apply pressure to the wound.

"Sorry," she apologized as he groaned from the additional pain she caused by pressing down on his leg.

Just as quickly as the attack started it ceased, and the surrounding became quiet again; the only sound was JJ giving a status update to Hotch.

"Hold your position." His voice crackled over the radio.

"Copy that." JJ responded. She hunched further down to work her way to the two other agents.

"Spence, are you okay?" She asked as she knelt next to him and examined his agony filled face.

He nodded and swallowed hard as pressed his head back against the door.

"You must have a magnet in your leg that attracts bullets." Emily teased giving him a reassuring smile.

Reid gave a half grin back them grimaced again at the pain. "It wasn't a direct hit, I'm okay, go after him."

Emily kept eye contact as she applied pressure. "We'll get him Reid. Hotch and Morgan are right behind us. He has no where to go, okay?"

"We're not leaving you." JJ agreed.

Spencer shook his head and spoke fast to make his point heard. "By the time everyone gets here he could be gone. He knows these surroundings, and if we let him get too far ahead we could lose him."

Emily knew he had a point, but they had Hotch's orders to follow. She looked up to JJ and could see in the blonde's eyes that she too saw it as the best move. Sudden images of the poor woman that were carved up and tortured for this mans own sadistic pleasure flipped through her mind like a slideshow. She tried to shake the thought of the missing girl as his next victim. She wouldn't be able to live with it if they didn't do everything they could to stop him.

Emily rose slowly to look in the direction he had slunk off to. The sky behind them began to light up from the flashing lights headed their way. Emily felt some relief that it wouldn't be long before backup was there.

"Hotch," Emily spoke into her mic and looked towards the shadowy forms of the trees. "Tanner's injured and won't be too far in. If we wait any longer I think Reid's right, he'll have his window to escape."

There was a brief silence as their leader thought through his decision. "How's Reid?"

Emily looked down again and fought with her concern for him. Reid caught the worry in her eyes and his face became stern in an attempt to warn her not to make a fuss over his condition.

"He was hit by a-"

"Hotch, I'm fine." He spoke up cutting her off. "We're wasting time. Kelly Parson has been missing for a day. If he has stuck to his time line then she is still alive, and it may be our only chance."

Emily shook her head but bit her tongue. Reid was right, he was going to be okay, and there was medical help minutes away. Kelly Parson needed them.

Hotch's response pulled her from her thoughts and she listened to hear what he said. "We're two minutes out. Keep your mics on." There was another pause before his usual authoritative voice leaked his concern, "and be careful."

"Yes sir," Emily responded then nodded towards JJ.

She watched JJ stand to move then turned back to Reid. He raised his hand to prevent her from speaking. She laughed slightly at his stubbornness, then gave him an encouraging smile that he graciously returned.

She hesitated for a moment before following the blonde around the safety of the vehicle and towards the unknown. Without a word the two agents fell into step with one another. Once past the beam from the SUV their flashlights created the only lines of light.

The sense of uncertainty and unease grew stronger as they broke through the brush and tree line. Bits of moonlight filtered down through the canopy of trees, but barely touched the ground. The usual life that filled the woods had been silenced from the commotion only minutes earlier. They had not moved very far when the trail revealed itself. There was a clear path of broken and crushed brush where he had fallen and trampled through.

It obvious he was not attempting to conceal his movements and was just trying to get away. They came up to their target quickly. He appeared with his back to them in a failed attempt to hide in the chest high ferns. It became apparent that he was unaware of their presence, and in unison the two agents cut their lights to surround him.

Once in position on either side of him the agents clicked their flashlights back on and directed it and their guns at him.

"FBI, don't move."

He squinted into the light but remained on his knees and raised his arms in defeat. As JJ and Emily approached closer they realized the person in front of them was not the suspect they thought they were chasing. There cowering in the brush was a tall and gangly teen that slouched as if he was ashamed of himself. He kept his head down and avoided all eye contact.

"Who are you?" JJ asked as she pulled her cuffs from behind her and proceeded to restrain the young man.

"Michael Tanner." He answered in a hushed whisper.

JJ looked past the boy to Emily who held the same look of confusion that she felt.

"What's going on?" JJ asked and took a quick look around.

"Where's your father?" Emily asked.

The boy's head shot up and he began to speak in a frantic manner. "He made me do it. I was just supposed to distract you. I really didn't mean any harm!"

Emily shook her head in disappointment and took a few steps back before she proceeded to make contact with Aaron.

JJ tightened the cuffs and roughly assisted the injured boy to a standing position. "How is leading a high speed chase and shooting at FBI agents not attempting to cause harm?"

His head shot around to face her. "I didn't shoot at you! How could I have done that? The crash is what I meant. I ran off cause I thought you were shooting at me!"

Emily paused her conversation with Hotch to engage in the dialog being exchanged behind her. "What do you mean you didn't shoot at us?"

Michael hunched his shoulders and dropped his head again. They both knew he was hiding something, but either too scared to say, or there was something more going on.

JJ looked from the young man back to Emily. She could tell that the brunette also felt that something was not right. She no longer stood in her casual confidence; instead she was straight backed with her feet apart in a stance she usually reserved for unloading her glock. Michael flinched and the leaves rustled behind them, but it was too late.

JJ's head whipped around as the huge black shape moved fast and deliberately through the shadows. The action was a blur as the dark form enveloped Emily and the two disappeared into the thick underbrush. The sound of the struggle was the only evidence they were still there. JJ frantically searched the darkness and flinched at the sound of flesh colliding and the uncontrolled cries from Emily as the man's fists found their target.

When her light finally caught the chaos in front of her Michael used the distraction to try and pull himself from JJ's grip. His jerking movement took her attention away from the attack on her friend, and with an irritated grunt she grabbed his arm and violently spun him to the ground. She ignored his groan of pain and her eyes darted back to the spot Emily had just occupied. Her panic rose when she watched the two forms once again disappear from her sight. She disregarded Michael's cries of pain and moved to where the darkness swallowed Emily and called out for her to answer.

A freezing wind whipped through the trees and contrasted sharply with the warm sweat that had formed on her brow. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and made it hard to hear. She strained for the familiar sound of Emily's voice. She felt paralyzed. Her limbs refused to respond. Then a sudden cry snapped her into motion.

She called out again. The eerie silence was her only response and it sent a wave of nausea through the pit of her stomach. She couldn't breath and the knot in her throat tightened at the possibility of what had just happened. Her light was useless to pierce the blanket of blackness below her. The only thing she could do was continue to call and move down in the direction she had seen them vanish to.

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_Uh oh... What just happened? __Who is this man? _

_Emily's POV up next and yet another fun twist. ;)_

_Thank you for reading! The review button awaits!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the reviews fav and alerts! It really is awesome to get this response, keep them coming cause it really keeps me going! I'm having way too much fun with this story!_

_Hold on tight...here we go!_

_Happy reading! _

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Emily saw the sudden panic that flashed in JJ's eyes before she felt the blow and her body collide sharply with the cold ground. The pain was immediate and exploded through her. Her limbs became useless and the gun she had just unholstered easily slid from her hand. Her eyes snapped back open as fast as they had closed at impact. The initial shock was compounded when the first blow from her attacker connected and knocked her head to the side. She had no chance to physically react before he had a solid grip on her arms. He swiftly rolled onto his back and with one fluid motion heaved her up and across his body throwing her like a rag doll. He released her in mid air and she had little preparation for the violent landing. Her movement didn't stop when she crashed and bounced off the ledge of the hill that began her uncontrolled decent.

As she hit and toppled over herself, Emily threw her arms out to grab hold of anything that could stop her. The unknown attacker moved steadily with her and when she settled at the bottom she had no time to collect herself before he was towering over her. She tensed herself and waited for the next blow but it didn't come. He instead bent down and with little effort lifted her from the ground and roughly flipped her to her back. In seconds he had her pressed against the incline and pinned under his suffocating weight. All she could do was let out a small whimper as the air was pushed from her lungs.

He covered his enormous hands around her head and brought her face within inches of his.

"You need to leave it alone!" He hissed.

She tried not to cringe at his hot breath and forced herself to keep eye contact. Emily felt the emptiness in his cold eyes. The pure evil that exuded from the man briefly froze her in place, but the overpowering pain he created shook her back to reality. She turned all of her efforts to free herself from his crushing body.

Her thrashing and twisting began to aggravate him and he moved slightly to adjust his grip. Enough room was created for her to bring her knees up towards her chest. Emily quickly found the leverage she needed and with all her strength she pressed outward with her legs. He let out a low grunt as he stumbled backwards and hit the ground out of view. Emily didn't hesitate to put distance between them. Breathing heavy and fighting the dizziness overwhelming her she pushed towards JJ's moving light. Emily called out and continued to stagger and stumble on her weak and unbalanced legs. She became relieved when the blonde answered back.

Emily continued to move along the edge of the incline as fast as the slippery mud, rocks and her battered body would allow. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and between steps fought the desire to look behind her. She knew she couldn't waste energy on turning, she had to keep a forward motion. JJ continued to plea for her to verbally respond, and she was about to when she felt a strong force wrap around her waist and violently rolled her back into the mud. Once again she found herself beneath an immovable mass.

His gritty voice grated her nerves as he growled at her. "It didn't have to come to this." He moved his hands until they completely engulfed her neck. "Maybe now all ya'all will stay out of it!"

She gasped for air and kicked, but his strength overwhelmed her. She felt her body begin to slow and shutdown; she was losing. The blood pounded and pulsed behind her eyes and she fought to not let the threatening darkness win. She knew if she gave in she was dead. Emily could see through the blur of consciousness the flickering of the flashlight above them and the echoed calls of JJ's frantic voice repeating her name.

The flashing and yells in the near distance was enough of a distraction that the beast shifted his weight slightly. The new position allowed Emily to free one of her arms. The back of her mind screamed to stop him. She blindly searched the ground for anything solid and when she found a weapon of choice she did not hesitate to bring it up and across his temple.

A rush of air filled her lungs as his weight released from her and he fell to the side. The new adrenaline pumped through her veins and overran any sense of pain or weakness. Emily jumped up to prepare herself for the expected battle, but it didn't come. His large form lay unconscious next to her. As the relief washed over her it took the fight with it and she fell to her knees gasping for the breath she craved.

Emily's hand shot down to the damp ground in an attempt to stabilize herself as the shakiness and pain rocked through her. She fought the desire to close her eyes but needed to regain some clarity and stop the nauseating spinning. A sudden flash in the darkness caught her attention. She released a breath when JJ's light was now level and headed straight towards her. Emily tried to call out, but found her voice refused to work past a hoarse whisper.

She looked back to the man face down in the mud and crawled towards him pulling her handcuffs from behind as she moved. She was thankful he was unconscious; she knew she didn't have the strength for another round. She cinched the cuffs tightly and leaned against the beast of a man and let her head drop briefly. Her neck throbbed and it was still extremely difficult to breathe and swallow. It felt as if his hands were still clenched tightly around her throat. As much as she worked to control her breathing she could not stop the weak and dizzy feeling. Her attention was drawn away from herself when the blinding light suddenly hit her eyes again. She raised a weary hand to push the hair from her view and squinted to see past the glare. A smile began to form on her face as JJ appeared behind the glow.

She was about to comment on her timing when a deafening blast from behind her sent her ducking down. Emily's heart began to slam against her ribcage again and felt her skin bristle with goose bumps. She watched in horror as JJ's body flew backwards.

"JayJe!" Emily yelled out in a cracked voice. She ignored her body's protest and rose to get to her friend. Before she was off her knees the hot metal of a gun was pressed firmly against her temple and it rooted her to the spot.

"Let him go." The new voice ordered.

Emily flinched at the burn, but refused the demand to lift her weight from the man beneath her. The commotion had begun to stir him back to consciousness so she tightened her grip on his arms and pressed her knee harder into his back. A small breath of pain escaped the prisoner below her, but she knew the threat was no longer him but this new stranger. Emily reluctantly took her eyes from JJ to focus on the unexpected company.

"Where is the little car all you clowns seem to be climbing out of?" She asked through gritted teeth allowing her angry sarcasm to seep through her words.

The man disregarded her and pressed the muzzle harder against her head. He repeated himself and pulled the hammer back. "I said get off of him."

Emily felt like everything was unraveling, and time slowed to a crawl. In her haze she was desperately trying to formulate a plan. The surroundings suddenly began to hold a new level of detail. The frigid wind whipped strands of hair in her face and the crisp air mixed the scent of mud and pine needles. She took in a silent breath in an effort stay calm and to keep a grasp onto the last thread of clarity she had. She knew that Hotch and Morgan were right behind them, with the cavalry in tow. They would have heard the gunshot and would be looking to contact them. With that revelation she thought of her radio, but realized it had been ripped out in the struggle. The only thing she could do was somehow stall. They were coming she had to believe it.

She continued to remain fixed in her spot refusing to acknowledge the person and turned her eyes back to JJ, anxious to see any movement. Emily tried to concentrate but the blood pounded behind her eyes. It pulsed with every tick of the watch that was wrapped around the wrist held inches from her ear.

_Stall_, the voice repeated again in her mind, s_tall, they're coming_.

When she finally looked back she saw something familiar in the person's eyes and could not react before the metal slammed into her skull. She saw flashes of brilliant colors before everything went black.

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_A evil cliffhanger? How unlike me!_

_Oh don't worry they are far from over!_

_The next few chapters will give a bit of background and set up the rest of the story._

_Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think! The review button awaits!_

_Thank you for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

_So glad I still can keep you on the edge of your seats! The coaster has begun its climb again, make sure you're locked in!_

_Happy reading!_

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Aaron barely had pushed the gearshift to park before the doors were open and he and Morgan were sprinting to the crash site. As he ran, Aaron glanced quickly to the motorcycle and to the direction he expected JJ and Prentiss to have gone. He felt anxiety rise at how dark and ominous the distant trees looked. He shook it off and returned his attention to getting to Spencer. The young agent was attempting to stand and leaned awkwardly against the back of the SUV. Morgan looked back impatiently for the medic that was trailing behind.

Hotch moved swiftly but his detailed eye took in the scene. He glanced from the mangled front end to the bullet holes that shattered several of the windows. The flashing blue and red lights behind him caught themselves on the bits of plastic scattered across the loose dirt. Bushes and small trees lay uprooted from the violent attack of the SUV. The disturbed foliage and patterned tracks clearly revealed the path that led to the collision with the hill.

He stared briefly at the remnants of the government vehicle before his full attention went to Spencer. He watched the medic cut away a portion of Reid's pant leg to get a better look. The young agent spoke quietly to the man cleaning and bandaging his wound.

"How is he?"

The older medic spoke to the Unit Chief but did not take his eyes from his task. "He will need stiches but looks like we can get the bleeding under control."

Morgan rubbed his hand playfully over Spencer's hair. "I'd say lucks on your side pretty boy!"

"I don't believe in luck." Spencer responded under his breath, but laughed slightly when he saw the wide grin Morgan held.

The playfulness ended when Emily's tense voice silenced them. "Hotch, we've apprehended the suspect."

The irritation in her voice created a slight unnerving feeling and Aaron instinctively stood up straighter as she spoke.

"Its not John Tanner, its his son."

"His son?" Aaron asked in confusion and received the same puzzled looks from the other agents.

"Yup his son. " She answered plainly. "We're headed back now."

"Copy that." He responded and shook his head. Everything they had thought they had known was quickly becoming obsolete. Nothing seemed to fit so nicely together now, and he had a nagging feeling this revelation was only the beginning.

As he thought back to the house, they had seen someone dodge into the shed with a helmet. The explosion took his attention away from who was escaping on the bike; he just assumed it was John Tanner. Garcia had found that his wife had filed for sole custody of their son and now lived two hundred miles away. This was a huge turn of events.

Rossi joined the group that had collected in the small circle around Spencer. He ducked under the open rear lift gate and leaned against the taillight. No one moved and silently watched as the medic finished wrapping the bandage around Spencer's leg.

He took in a small breath before he broke the silence. "We profiled the wife leaving and taking his son was Tanner's stressor. How does the son being here change the profile?"

Morgan crossed his arms and looked to the senior profiler. "It doesn't make any sense. Unless it's as simple as that event not being the stressor."

"We're missing something here." Hotch agreed and pulled his phone and moved away.

His train of thought was cut off by the demanding voice of Garcia. "Before a single key is pressed on my case shattering keyboard I need to know all my babies are okay."

Hotch's eyes dropped briefly to Spencer, "Reid's going to be okay."

"And how are my lovely duo, Cagney and Lacy, doing?"

Aaron looked to the darkness again. "They're fine and on their way back." He then spoke quickly to cut off any other questions that could be asked.

"Garcia, has there been any recent contact between Tanner and his wife or his son?"

"I have all his communications tagged but nothing has come up since that phone call from her cell the day she left him two weeks ago."

Aaron had not noticed that he had begun to pace as he listened to the clacking of the keys on the line. His mind was going in all the possible directions this case had turned.

"I need you to find Patricia Tanner. If Michael was taken she may be in danger."

"Sir you will have that information as soon as I do."

"Thank you." He said then pulled the phone from his ear and paused briefly before he walked back over to the other agents. Their faces were contorted in deep concentration as they mulled over the new development.

"So why John Tanner?" Rossi said quietly as if pondering the question to himself, then looked up curiously to the Unit Chief as he joined the group.

"Why not?" Morgan began, "everything points to him. He knew both of the victims and now the missing girl, Kelly. He was the last person they were seen with, and all of them were involved somehow with the surgery that led to a malpractice suit and his license being revoked."

Spencer scooted back to get more comfortable, but engaged with the conversation. "The two victims had each organ carved into them at the correct anatomical position on the body, almost like a visual overlay."

He swallowed quickly and began to use his hands to help explain. "It wouldn't take more than general anatomy knowledge or just simply a science book to look at. In the last victim, Peter Riley, his liver was actually removed post mortem."

"It could be for him or for the victims. He may blame them for the nicked liver that led to the Margaret Hanson's death." Morgan added.

Rossi shook his head. "Maybe we need to rethink the whole profile."

"We have the son now," Aaron encouraged, "he'll be an asset to finding the secondary location and his father, and maybe shed some light on what else is going on."

Rossi nodded his head in agreement. "What did Garcia say?"

"Nothing yet, she's looking for Tanner's wife. I have a feeling she has more to do with this than we initially thought."

Aaron adjusted his weight and turned his body to face Spencer. "Do you know where this road leads?"

"No, it's not on any maps, but the direction indicates it to be headed to the furthest corner of the lake."

Hotch didn't hesitate and gestured towards Dave. "Take a team down to the end of the road. The son may have been headed towards something or someone."

Rossi nodded then trotted over to the milling officers. Aaron watched as he spoke quickly and they headed out of sight down the road.

Not wasting a breath he directed himself to the closest medic. "Do both of you need to go with him?"

"No sir." The man answered and cocked his head to the side to understand the question.

"I want you to be ready, we may need you."

His eyes went to the ghostly trees and took a quick glance at his watch. Prentiss had not said how far in they were but expected the two agents to have already emerged.

He bent his head slightly and pulled his vest up to speak once again into his mic. His words were caught in his throat when a gunshot shook the once still air. Every muscle in his body tightened and his eyes darted in the direction the unnerving sound had emanated from.

Aaron's gut began to scream at him and he took in a small breath to keep his voice steady. "JJ, Prentiss what's your status?"

"Hotch that was close!" Morgan yelled out already in motion.

Aaron strained to listen but the lack of response sent his mind into a frenzy. He tried to swallow the lump that formed as he repeated their names to answer him.

"Reid have Garcia get Prentiss' and JJ's phone coordinates." He called over his shoulder. As he sprinted off after Morgan he pointed to a few of the officers poised for action.

Aaron was only a step behind Derek as they broke the ring of darkness. They were running blindly but headed in the direction of the blast. Their flashlights bounced erratically as the sped through.

Aaron was in extremely good physical condition, but his lungs screamed at him and his throat clenched tight. Why couldn't he breath? He had just spoke to Emily, what could have happened?

"About 110 yards northeast." Reid's voice broke the silence.

Morgan glanced back but didn't slow his pace as jumped and dodged the thick brush and roots that jetted out. Hotch saw a sudden movement through the shadows and squinted to make out its form. Derek saw the same figure and slowed to conceal himself behind a large trunk. Aaron moved to flank him. They quickly realized the person slowly zigzagging towards them was not one of their own but Michael Tanner.

Aaron called into his mic again for Prentiss or JJ to respond to him. He fought to ignore the voice in the back of his mind that warned him to prepare for the worst. It was gradually getting louder and the sight in front of him only added volume to it.

The two agents glanced around but couldn't waste time and didn't hesitate to announce themselves to the boy. The thin teen froze in place and looked behind him as if a monster was going to emerge from the shadows and devour him.

Hotch held his position and examined Michael. He was still cuffed, and his face had various cuts and bruises he assumed were from the crash. His evaluation of the situation was shattered as Morgan's raised voice put him back on high alert.

"Drop the gun!"

The boy startled and immediately released the weapon from his grip.

"I was just going to use it for protection." He half cried.

"From who?" Morgan asked with a little more care in his voice.

"I don't know! That thing that attacked the dark haired officer."

"What are you talking about? Where are the two agents?"

"The blonde handcuffed me but then the monster attacked. Then they all disappeared down the hill." He choked out and gestured into the darkness.

"Did you fire the gun?"

He shook his head slowly and cast his eyes downward. "That was when I got up and tried to get out of here."

"Show us where they went," Aaron demanded.

"Right there." The boy stuttered.

Morgan acknowledged the two officers that had quickly pulled up behind them and handed the young teen over.

The two moved slowly to the edge of the hill and carefully scanned the bottom, but their lights revealed little. They both cautiously began to decent the slope when Morgan suddenly tuned from side stepping to a flat out run. Aaron looked past him and saw what he was running towards. There was a body on the ground, an unmoving body. Fear shot up his spine and the sensation almost paralyzed him.

"Hotch!" Morgan called back, the same fear in his words, "Its Jayje!"

Aaron was over her as quickly as Morgan, but the dark agent beat him to call for a medic. Aaron took a moment and scanned the area hoping that Emily was there. Just physically seeing her would give him something, but his flashlight revealed nothing more than the thick foliage. He couldn't ignore the trampled brush and marks in the mud that told him the story of the struggle that happened there.

"She has a pulse," Derek said with slight relief, "but I can't tell where she's hurt."

Morgan tentatively ran his hand over her head and when it came up wet from blood his face was all the information Aaron needed.

"Jayje! Can you hear me? Wake up for me." Derek pleaded.

Hotch stood rooted but his eyes and light scanned over her and quickly landed on the slug tightly compressed into her vest. "Morgan." He said and pointed the light to the glistening copper.

"Damn," Derek cursed as he ran his hand over the spot.

"There was only one gunshot." Aaron said.

Morgan looked up and then around frantically in the darkness. "So where the hell is Emily?"

"I don't know, but there was some sort of struggle here." He said and shown his light over the disturbed mud and plants. "I don't see any drag marks though."

Before either agents could comment more Rossi came through in an almost whisper. "We have eyes on Tanner."

"How far down are you?" Hotch asked.

"Not even an eighth of a mile. The road dead ends pretty quickly right into a cabin. It's nothing more than a single room hunting cabin."

"Okay?" Aaron encouraged for more information, but Dave came back with a question.

"How's JJ?"

"She's unconscious. She took one in the vest and looks like she hit her head. The medic just got here."

"What about Emily?"

"I don't know."

There was a pause and Aaron knew that Dave was analyzing what he had said. The situation was not anywhere close to being under control. He was trying to understand why this man would have taken Prentiss, not just kill her. Did he leave JJ thinking she was dead? He desperately wanted to stop his mind from speculating, but until he had his team alive and intact, Kelly found unscathed, and Tanner either dead or in cuffs, he couldn't stop it. Aaron felt some hope when he looked down to JJ and saw her begin to stir, but the all-consuming tension did not release with it. The unknown still held him captive.

He turned his mind back to Dave. "Is Tanner alone? Is there any sign of Prentiss?"

"No, but," Dave's voice trailed off and the brief silence was more than Aaron's already rattled nerves could handle. He was on his last thread of patience.

"But what Dave?" He asked in a short clip.

"He's armed and appears agitated." Rossi finally answered.

Aaron felt his muscles twitch to take off in the direction of the cabin. He might not make it in time, but had to try. He glanced to Morgan attempting to get JJ fully awake and then to the medic trudging down the wet slope.

"What are you thinking Dave?" He asked already making his move up the incline.

"He keeps pointing the gun at something out of view and his agitation is growing. If he has Emily I don't know how much time we have."

That was not the answer Aaron wanted. He couldn't breath again.

* * *

_hmm who is in the cabin? Could there be any more twists?_

_Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts! The review button awaits!_


	5. Chapter 5

_You guys are the best and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story! I won't drone on so here we go!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Aaron's mind screamed at him to run faster. He no longer felt the burn in his lungs or the pounding of his feet onto the uneven ground. How fast could he run two football fields? It was not a straight shot with the winding and undulating road, but he was about to make it a personal record if it meant getting Emily back alive.

He pulled up quickly to Rossi and the two other officers. The energy that surrounded the huddled men lay heavy around them. Aaron took in a strong breath to slow down his heart rate and get control. He nodded to Rossi then looked past the trees to the cabin.

A dim light filtered out of the only window. It created ominous shadows that danced on the small balcony and then were quickly swallowed by the river of blackness below.

Aaron heard Tanner before he saw him. His unstable words floated across, but they were inaudible. His tone and how the volume of his voice fluctuated let them know that he had taken a turn and not in a good direction. Hotch felt his heart jump when he finally caught sight of him pace pass the window.

Aaron glanced over to Dave. "What do you think?"

Dave didn't respond and they tensed as Tanner threw his hands up and began shouting again.

"The person he appears to be talking to is on the north side of the cabin." Rossi indicated and pointed to that part of the wood structure.

"Do we have any indication that it's Emily?"

Dave looked up with a curious look. Aaron knew it was because he used her first name, but he didn't care, the situation was beyond personal now.

"No." Dave said bluntly, "but I suggest we proceed as if he does."

"Are there any other entrances than the front door?"

The younger officer crouched to his left spoke up, "no, besides the window the only access is that door." He then looked from Hotch and pointed to the dark form feet from the stairs.

The situation grinded onward and each second seemed excruciatingly long. The sweat that trickled down Aaron's neck felt like tiny insects making a quick decent down his back. Aaron was exhausted from the hunt and his body tired from the constant tension, but more than anything he was done with not knowing.

In their planning they did not realize that it had suddenly gone quiet. Too quiet, an unnerving quiet that only brought up fear and panic. Aaron turned away when he saw the look in Dave's eyes. He knew Rossi had snuck a peek past his confidence and saw that the calm was unraveling in him. No one else but Dave would see the vulnerability pushing to be exposed through his steel walls. To any one else he was a composed statue of collected thoughts and controlled actions. Dave saw it, but Aaron also knew he was struggling with the same insecurities. Rossi would not question him; he was waiting for the simple order. This nightmare needed to end and Aaron hoped in the next few minutes that it would.

"We go," He spoke in a quiet cool voice.

The men drew their guns in unison and began their move toward the man made structure. Aaron's gun settled in his hand, a comfortable extension of himself that he prayed he didn't need to use. They glided like ghosts across the mist of darkness. Their eyes darted to the window hoping for a glimpse of anyone, but only shadows danced across the glass.

Aaron didn't like the quiet. As much as Tanner's ranting unnerved him the silence only increased his sense of dread. The man was at his end and may have made a final decision. If that was the case they may be too late.

A sharp breeze wrapped itself through the thin opening between the cabin and the porch. The only sound was the dry leaves and needles that reluctantly skittered across the splintered wood. The light from the window revealed little but the doors outline.

With everyone in position there was a quick pause. There was a moment to gain clear thoughts, to make a smart move for the best possible outcome. The deteriorating door was a fragile barrier to the unknown, and the other side was a threat. A threat needed to be taken down and before any harm could come to Emily. He didn't want to think any already had.

With an aggressive push Aaron broke through that dark barrier. The blast of hot air that hit is face was a stark contrast to the bitter chill outside, but he adjusted easily to it. They quickly made themselves known and surrounded the surprised man.

Aaron couldn't help buy feel that the scene inside did nothing to ease their initial fears. His eyes went from the man waving the gun to the body crumpled in the corner of the room swimming in a pool of crimson. He knew he couldn't take his eyes from their threat, but he desperately wanted to see whom the person was. In the brief glance he had made out small details of the woman. She was the right size and had dark hair. Was it Emily? What was she wearing that day? His mind searched for the answer, and fought the overwhelming voice yelling at him to get over to her.

Dave's voice shook him back. "Drop the gun."

"What?" The man questioned and raised the weapon slightly. He responded as if he wasn't aware he had it in his hands.

"I don't want to shoot you but I will. Drop your weapon so no one else gets hurt."

"I I didn't-" He stuttered in a shaky voice and pointed the barrel towards the woman. Tears filled his eyes and he hunched over as if nausea hit like a punch to the gut.

"Put the gun down and you can explain what did happen." Rossi encouraged.

"Nothing matters anymore." He whispered, then released the gun. It clattered as it bounced across the wooden floor. When it finally settled a few feet from him the two officers pounced to restrain the distraught man. Dave grabbed the gun and Aaron took the cue and was over to the woman in two steps.

His eyes turned quickly from the blood splatter on the wall, to the motionless woman. The blood that soaked the clothes had changed the tint of the fabric. He didn't see a vest, but that meant little at this point. Her shoulder length ebony hair lay carelessly in the sticky substance, clumped together like a brush soaking up paint.

He took in a steadying breath as his hand gently touched the still shoulder and turned the lifeless body to face him. As the woman's head fell backwards his whole body shook from the intense exhale he released. The relief that fell over him was short lived. The woman was not Emily, but only more questions developed in his mind. He felt time once again slipping through his hands.

He rose and turned on his heels to address their prisoner. "Where is Agent Prentiss?"

"Who?" The man asked. His face met Aaron's but was twisted in sincere confusion.

"The woman you took after you shot Agent Jareau." Dave said bitterly.

There was a pause as his eyes searched the cabin as if searching for clues. He remained silent and didn't answer. The man dropped his head but directed his attention to the woman on the floor.

Aaron suddenly felt a dizzy array of emotions shoot through him. He clenched his fist and felt every muscle in his body tighten. Panic and concern quickly turned to anger; answers where not presenting themselves fast enough. He continued to control his demeanor from betraying the fury rising up through him. He took a long stride towards the man.

He towered over him and made no effort to give him much space as he spoke. "The games are over, and I'm done playing. Tell me where she is, right now."

"You don't understand." He said and flinched at Aaron's proximity. Then he choked out the words, "It's not what you think."

"Then help us, because I'm confused as hell." Rossi demanded from the other side of him.

* * *

She felt the darkness like a cold blanket over her. It had felt like an impenetrable sheet of ice up until that point. A warm voice began to break the layer. The warmth began to bring light and the surrounding noises into focus. Slowly the voices became familiar but she couldn't understand them over the pain that had taken hold of her entire being. Her head pounded and threatened to explode. The mere thought of opening her eyes created anxiety to the physical result. Her chest felt heavy and with every breath created a sharp pain that resonated through her body.

She wanted to call out for someone to stop the pain but her voice failed her. The voices around her spoke quickly and she heard her name. It repeated over and over. It needed to stop. She could hear it; they just needed to let her sleep the pain away.

When the voice would not relent she forced her energy to pry her eyes open. They fluttered briefly before she found success and the blurry form of Derek hovering over her appeared. She swallowed to alleviate the dryness that invaded her mouth and throat. She tried to speak but Derek put his had up to stop her.

"Just relax. Don't try to move or talk okay?"

She felt the cold hard ground and the familiar smell of the woods filled her senses. It was always one she enjoyed and had reminded her of carefree days, but as she took in the air it made her stomach turn. She looked curiously at Derek and was about to ask what was going on when the veil of fog that had settled over her mind was blown away from a sudden gust of memories.

The sudden jolt hit her and she wanted to sit up with it. Morgan's strong hand met her chest and gently pressed her back down.

"Jayje its okay."

"No." She pleaded with him. She couldn't get the words she wanted out. She had to get the pounding force in her head to stop so she could focus to get her crucial point across.

"Carver, Emily." Was all she could get out.

"No, Jaye it's okay. We have Tanner, and his son, we will find her."

"No." She tried again. He continued to pacify her.

JJ wanted to scream. She shook her head, and the action only made the pain intensify. She was becoming more frustrated that she couldn't make him understand. She slowly laid her head back in exhaustion from the short burst of energy to speak.

Derek rubbed her hand for support and every fiber in her wanted to tear it away to show how serious she was but her muscles refused.

With a shaky breath she finally choked out the words stuck in her throat. "Real Carver."

Derek leaned in closer his eyes clear and concerned. "What are you trying to say?"

"Carver. The _real_ Carver has Emily."

* * *

_I apologize for the lack of Emily in this chapter and the last. It was however necessary. The next chapter will be her POV so stay tuned!_

_Thank you for reading! The review button happily awaits!_


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm so sorry for the wait! This crazy alternate reality people seem to call life happened. I will continue to work and try to get back to posting chapter consistently._

_I hope the interest remains and thank you for the constant support! It is awesome!_

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

Emily twisted and turned to get comfortable. The air was thick and hot making it hard to breath. Her muscles ached, and stomach swirled with nausea. A dull throb began to make itself known from behind her ears, and the pain rose and crested like a wave threatening to crash down. What had she done last night? She tried to stretch her stiff neck and cursed herself for falling asleep in her chair again. As she opened her eyes they adjusted slowly to the sparse light. She was forced to close them again when the light became too much. Each time they drifted open she had to refocus, but it gave her clips of where she was. It quickly became clear she wasn't in her chair or her home.

Emily tried to stand but an uncontrollable spinning swept her legs out from under her. Her body immediately collapsed back down into the chair with a violent crash. Her head continued to spin and for support she pressed it against the crumbling wall behind her.

The commotion brought a figure from the shadows. Emily squinted her eyes to see who it was. The beast of a man was no one she had ever seen before. His hair was cut tight to his head and his thick brow shaded his dark eyes. His head almost touched the dirt ceiling, and as he moved forward he instinctively ducked as if he would hit it.

Emily looked away when she suddenly saw the chair that was behind him. It seemed like objects and people just appeared out of the darkness. The new furniture filled the majority of the space, and the space itself was small. The only thing that was clear was the hot suffocating air and the surrounding dirt walls meant they were underground. She continued to try and focus her mind but everything cut rapidly like a poorly edited movie and each scene appeared in an almost audible click.

"Well well, welcome to the party." The man said.

Emily's eyes drifted back to the origin of the voice, and to the unfamiliar face. She continued to search her hazy memory for any file or photo from the case that he was linked to, but there was nothing.

As he came further under the lone bulb he shoved his sleeves up not wasting time to roll them. The act revealed tattoos that wrapped around his entire forearm and disappeared under the cotton fabric. She could not fully make out what they were, but single words appeared along the images that snaked around his flesh.

Her eyes went to his cold blue ones, and became disgusted by the smug look plastered on is face. Her attention was then drawn to the dried blood that stuck to his hairline and to the bruise that had developed under a cut just below his temple. She smiled slightly hoping that she had done that to him.

He approached closer and suddenly straightened out rope like a whip. The abrupt action made her jump and caused the pain in her head to worsen and her stomach threaten to expend its contents. She was useless to fight him at the moment, and he knew that. She squeezed her eyes shut and took in a breath to calm herself.

He chuckled to himself as he pulled her arms through the narrow slats of the chair and tied them. "I usually reserve this honor for someone else, but by the recent turn of events this may end up being a more suitable lesson."

She tried to respond but her mouth was dry. She licked her lips and swallowed in an attempt to alleviate her parched mouth and remove the lingering bitter taste.

"Who are you?" She managed to force out. She barely recognized her voice and was shocked at the emptiness in it.

The man laughed and pushed himself up, but gave her nothing. In his arrogance he had not realized his first mistake. He had not tied her legs to the chair. Hope sparked in her and she immediately began working on loosening the binds.

As she twisted her wrists she took in the detail of what was behind him. The only other objects, besides the chair she saw earlier, were a mirror and a small metal tray table. The revelation of what was going on began to whisper softly in the back of her mind. It became louder and much more clear when he swung the dentist like chair around.

There staring back at her was the girl from the pictures she had spent the morning looking at. He shifted his weight from left to right as he allowed Emily to take in his prize. The girl's buttery blonde hair, which had flowed beautifully in her pictures, was now disheveled in a mess of knots. Her emerald green eyes were glossed over with fear and the dirt streaked down her face from the pleading tears that escaped.

She was naked from the waist up besides a blood soaked cloth that stuck to her skin. Emily quickly realized they had been wrong, dead wrong. She wasn't even sure she could trust the profile. She did know his pattern of spending two days carving up his victims and then on the last day slits their throats. He had already started, and time was running out.

Satisfied she understood what was happening he turned and busied himself in the shadows again. He reemerged with a small bag and unzipped it. He flipped it upside down and let the contents bounce and clatter on the metal tray.

Emily knew she needed to create a distraction and began to squirm more in her chair. She pulled harder at her ropes, and ignored her body's revolt to her actions. She was finding some success and the bind on her right hand was loosening.

"So this is how it works." He spoke as if it was a college lecture class. "It's obvious that general anatomy is not a requirement when it comes to being a surgeon or assisting nurse." He said and tapped mockingly onto the woman's head.

"Just stop, there is no need for this." Emily tried.

He looked up from lowering the chair to a horizontal position and glared back to Emily. "Oh it's very necessary. There is a slight difference now though. Same lesson plan different lesson."

He continued to stare at Emily and brought the sharp blade to his index finger and carefully brought it across the tip. A small bead of blood formed and he slowly began to draw on Kelly's bare stomach. Once satisfied with his guidelines he picked up a scalpel again and carefully brought it down until it was firmly pressed against the flesh. He paused and his eyes grew wide as Kelly's body began to shake uncontrollable beneath his precise edge. Before he applied enough pressure to break the skin a smile engrossed his face, and the malicious intent that filled his eyes made Emily's skin crawl. A shutter of pleasure washed over him as he followed his own smear of blood and pierced her deeper. Small trails of crimson began to seep from the new incision and run down the side of her body. The thick liquid collected and formed tiny rivers that dripped into a muddled lake below.

Kelly's pleas and cries to stop bounced off the walls and echoed in Emily's ears. Each moment became excruciating and Emily winced with each swipe of his hand across Kelly's once pale skin. Now it was stained in shades of pinks and reds.

Emily could only work on the rope and continue her demands for him to stop.

She finally stopped talking to the monster and called for Kelly's attention. "Look at me."

Slowly the girl turned her head; the agony and terror consumed her face. Emily felt her own tears begin to make their escape. She looked up to try and keep them in. She had to be the strength for both of them.

"Help me."

Emily's eyes drifted back to Kelly and locked in. "I will, but you have to stay strong for me okay?"

The only response that they got from the beast was laughter, but Emily refused to acknowledge him and kept talking. "Don't let him see your fear. That's what he wants. Just look at me."

Having enough of her distraction he grabbed Kelly's head and brought it back to face him. "Ohh shhh, she will do nothing for you."

The chair began to vibrate from the fear that shook through Kelly. He looked directly into Emily's eyes as he once again pressed the scalpel down and the blade easily sunk into her. The screams echoed and hit Emily like a shockwave. She felt helpless and the horror of what he was doing paralyzed her. She was there to stop him and yet she was in no position to.

The only thing she could do was press him more. "You're a bastard! Why don't you take on someone who can give you a fight?"

He cocked his head to the side as if her was considering her challenge, but only snorted before he returned to his task.

His voice began to grate at her with his own twisted dissertation on human behavior all the while using the poor woman as a living model. Emily felt the tears continue to prick her eyes from the torment and agony that was being displayed in front of her. Emily used everything in her to not take her eyes away or let the screams of pure suffering shake her. She fought herself wanting to break down. She had to hold strong and not let him know he was winning.

She had seen pictures and bodies of what these horrible monsters could do. She never thought she would be witness to the actual act and be helpless to stop it. The slightest decibel of a whimper to the loudest scream ripped and tore its way through her. It built itself up and she slowly began to lose herself in the torture.

"Stop!" She finally burst out.

"I'm sorry?" He raised his hand from the detailed cut he was making.

"Please stop!" Emily begged again.

He raised a brow but silently shook his head.

"Your point has been made. Please."

"Oh we are far beyond this begging aren't we?"

Emily shook her head, "I'm not the person you want watching this. It's not going to have the same effect."

He stared at her for a moment in silent contemplation. "John needed to own up to what he did, but I think by now he has realized his ultimate lesson. You on the other hand-" He stopped speaking and shrugged as if it was a waste of energy to continue.

"You haven't taught me anything. You've just proved that you're the one in need of being taught a lesson."

"Damn it!" He shouted and slammed his fist against the tray. The action scattered the tools around the floor. "Just shut up and watch!"

Emily couldn't help but jump at the sudden outburst, but she had his focus off Kelly. In an effort to keep it that way she rocked again and this time pushed herself over. The pain shot through her arm as she collided with the dense ground and her head rattled, but she received her intended result. He was over her in an instant cursing at her. He quickly righted her and cupped her face in his hand.

"You are not in control." He reached his hand behind him and gestured to Kelly. "This will happen and will forever be etched into your memory."

Emily met his eyes and they locked in a silent battle. She held her breath and finally relented and looked behind him to Kelly. Her eyes were boring into her and pleading to do something. She tried to return a reassuring smile. She was not about to give up, and the action of knocking herself over had loosened the ropes a little more.

He moved back to his position and hastily reorganized his tray. The pounding behind Emily's eyes became overwhelming and all she could seem to concentrate on was stopping it. Emily felt her stomach tighten and spin with nausea. She closed her eyes to somehow refocus. She had to find another way to once again transfer his focus from Kelly to her.

"Hey!" His voice shot through her and her eyes shot open. She flinched when she saw him release something from his hand and headed straight for her. The object bounced off the wall behind her and she followed it down as it settled on the dirt below. She immediately looked back up to the man, and tried to hide the confidence that began to fill her at his second mistake.

"You're going to watch!" He yelled again.

When he looked down his face filled with disappointment. The pain had become too much for Kelly and she had let her body shut down. Emily knew he wouldn't continue without his victim being fully aware of his torture. She took the new situation to make her move and began to sway herself from side to side. She hoped to create another annoying distraction.

"Really? What are you going to do?" He asked in an irritated voice.

Emily bluntly responded. "Stop you."

"Okay, go for it." He mocked.

He watched her squirm and a sudden deep laugh began in his belly and rolled outward. He threw his hands on to the chair for support. His over exaggerated response only fueled Emily more.

As she shifted her weight the rope around her wrist began to fall away. She felt her chance rising. Emily took that moment and pushed off her legs to lose complete balance and fall over again. Emily ignored the jarring collision and kept her eye on the shining blade only a few feet from her.

"Damn it, " he cursed as he realized she wasn't going to stop trying, and move to right her.

As he gripped the chair to yank her up she sprung up with his force and pushed back. With the momentum she drove him into the wall.

He let out a groan of pain and shock. She moved quickly to pull her arms from the slats. Her wrist caught briefly when the remaining rope snagged at the narrow opening. At that moment he pushed back and she fell hard to the ground. The jolt stopped her, but freed her from the confines. She held onto the chair and used it as a shield and searched blindly for the blade.

He continued to yell at her but his words were nothing more than background noise. He quickly removed his obstacle of the chair and threw it violently against the wall. Emily saw him crest over her and she frantically ran her hands through the gritty dirt and was rewarded when she came across the cold metal.

She turned quickly and jammed the thin scalpel as deep as she could. He released a yell of a pain and horror. She pulled it out to repeat the act when his knee shot up and connected cleanly with her jaw. The sudden impact sent her to back down. The adrenaline faded as fast as it had flooded her veins. Millions of yellow stars invaded her vision, and the slow playing movie returned. No matter how much she blinked she couldn't clear her sight. She felt like she was in a tunnel and his rage filled voice miles away.

"I should kill you now!" He hissed and rose slowly.

As he stumbled towards her, Emily tried to push herself as far from him as she could. She quickly found her body refused to take orders and she dropped to her side. She gagged on the dust that was disturbed by her sudden impact with the ground. All she could do was lay her heavy head in the dirt and try to find clarity and control. She blinked and his scuffed boots filled her line of sight. When she blinked again she found herself slouched against the wall. Her shoulders ached and her hands were numb. She had lost time, and realized he had tied her up again. Her eyes lazily followed the man's movements as he shuffled painfully backwards.

"You think you understand human behavior? Let's switch it up on you cause killing you would be too easy," he growled, "I think I have a better idea."

He paused and looked down to his hand that he had pressed firmly against the bleeding hole she had created.

His next words she comprehended and sent icicles down her spine.

"The last of the blood that drains from her will forever be on your hands."

* * *

_Well how to get out of this predicament, and where is the team? Next chapter will reveal more and what they are doing. So stay tuned!_

_Thank you for reading!_

_The review button awaits!_


	7. Chapter 7

_The encouragement for this story is amazing! Thank you all so much! We slow down only slightly, but it's necessary._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Spencer watched the ambulance bounce its way down the road and settle between two local police cruisers. The medics jumped out and grabbed their gear before they dashed into the darkness. The obscurity of the blackness invaded his mind and it was all he felt at that moment. He couldn't find clarity to the situation and it just kept getting worse. No one had new information. All he could do was wait. The worst part was he couldn't control the thoughts of every worst-case scenario.

He decided to distract himself from all the possibilities and statistics that swirled in his mind and limped his way to the ambulance where their Unsub's son was being tended.

He winced at the pain in his leg as he lowered himself next to boy. Michael sat slouched with his hands pressed tightly in his lap roughly washing them together. His head tilted slightly to Spencer's company but he kept his eyes forward.

He sat in the forced silence briefly before he spoke. "My name is Dr. Reid, I'm with the FBI. Could I talk to you and ask you some questions?"

The timid boy only shrugged and glanced down to stare at a spot on the ground.

"I can understand that you're scared."

Michael's head shot up but when their eyes met he flinched and quickly looked away again. The boy scrapped his bare arm across his eyes to wipe away the tears he had been fighting. The act only succeeded in creating streaks of dirt that looked like war paint on his cheeks.

"I'm scared." Spencer admitted and was rewarded with their first real eye contact. He looked at his pale face and wide eyes and saw the torment in them.

The look of shock that had crossed his face was replaced by a scowl. Michael shifted in his nervous energy and began to pick at his thumbnail. "What do you have to be scared of?"

Spencer swallowed and looked past him and back into the blackness beyond the flashing lights. "Two of my really good friends are in trouble and hurt."

"I'm sorry, I never ment-" He stopped mid sentence and looked away in shame.

"You could do the right thing now."

"Yeah?" His voice hopeful.

"Tell me what really happened here."

Michael's head dropped again, but he began to speak quietly. "My mom had taken us away from my dad. His drinking had become worse since he lost his license. He wasn't abusive or anything, but mom just wanted a fresh start, I guess."

"You didn't want to go."

"No. I thought if I hung around I could help him, but mom insisted. So we went, and then all of a sudden he just stopped answering my phone calls."

"You got worried and came back on your own." Spencer encouraged.

"Yeah," Michael said with a surprised excitement that Reid seemed to understand him. The tension released slightly in the boy and he relaxed more as he spoke.

"My dad was pissed that I just showed up, and called my mom to come get me. That's when everything went to hell."

"What happened?"

"This man, that I had never seen before, came out of nowhere and the next thing I know I'm tied up and locked in a room. I spoke to my dad everyday. He just kept saying he was sorry."

"Did your dad tell you anything about this man?"

"No, he just said he was a very bad man, but if we didn't do as he said he was going to kill mom. Today was the first time the man talked to me since that first day. He told me after the men left the house I was to ride to the cabin and my mom would be there waiting for me. Then the house just exploded. I was so scared but needed to get to her." His head suddenly dropped again. "I failed."

Spencer absorbed this new information. It just added to the confusion to what was really going on. There was a third person, the mastermind to it all. He ran though the facts of the case and nothing ever pointed to a dominant /submissive team, or who this man could be. Unless their UnSub had completely different motives to the murders. If that was the case they were even blinder to it than they thought.

"Is there anything you can tell me about the man? What he looks like, or anything distinctive about him? Did he say anything else to you?"

"No, I don't know. He was really tall, I mean huge, and had a lot of tattoos. The strange thing was he knew this used to be my grandpa's land."

Spencer was confused to why that information would matter, but his gut told him it had to.

"Is there something special about that?"

Michael shrugged. "I guess, he asked me about hunting. It was strange cause my grandpa was teaching me to hunt. One summer we spent months digging a hunting blind before deer season hit. It was going to be our spot. I really didn't like the hunting, but to be with him I was all for it."

Spencer was about to dig deeper when he heard the bass of Derek's voice. He rose and wanted to move towards the men headed his way, but held knowing they'd get to him faster. His heart stopped when he saw the blonde hair ruffled around the backboard. She wasn't moving but he quickly reminded himself she was strapped down.

He turned back to the teenager and then to the officer standing guard. "Michael, this officer is going to take you to the station. A sketch artist is going to work with you. I need you to do your best to remember what that man looks like, okay?"

Michael nodded his understanding, but Spencer's focus was already back to JJ. Her eyes were open but she stared blankly up to the starlit sky. Spencer looked from her to Derek.

Derek pushed back from the board so they could get her in the ambulance.

He then placed a hand on the young agents shoulder. "She'll be okay kid."

Spencer saw that he was unaware of his eyes and voice betraying his words. He could only nod and looked back to the blonde. He accepted the assistance to climb into the back of the rig.

He leaned forward to make his way into JJ's line of sight. Simultaneously he reached down and gently squeezed her hand. He smiled at her when he could see she recognized him. She wrapped a finger around his and returned a slight pressure.

"Find her," she wheezed out.

"Shh, they will." Spencer tried to reassure and to cover his own doubt.

She continued to mumble incoherently but was trying to tell him something between gasps of pain and the busy hands of the medics.

Spencer tried to comprehend what she was rambling when her words began to make sense. His mind worked faster organizing and sorting the pieces. Suddenly everything fell into place. He scrambled for his phone to call Hotch. He knew where Emily was, or at least he knew who did.

* * *

Derek was surprised at how fast he came up to the cabin, and the headlights tore through the scene. He slammed the car into park and cut the engine but let the lights continue to reveal what was in front of him. He jumped from the car, and when he slammed the door its sound ripped through the silence.

"Stay cool," he lectured himself as he neared the man sitting on the stairs. His face was buried in his hands and his body was almost curled in a ball on the top step.

Aaron was speaking sternly into his phone. Rossi stood facing the trees as if he would suddenly see something appear that they missed. Past them uniformed officers searched the surrounding area and cabin.

Derek abruptly pulled up to the agents and was speaking before his feet came to a complete halt. "Does he know where Prentiss is?"

Aaron's eyes narrowed and he shook his head but continued to speak into his phone. Morgan moved his eyes to the senior profiler who had turned around at the sound of his voice.

"The cabin is clear and Tanner has no clue where he takes his victims." Rossi answered. "Hotch is organizing the search now. We have 10 acres of land to cover, that's if he is still here."

"What else did he say? If he's working with him he would know what's going on!"

Dave shook his head, "He's not working _with_ him-"

Derek felt his hand clench into a fist; his cool was fleeting fast. When the man below him did not answer he reached out and grabbed a handful of material and yanked the man to his feet.

The man threw his hands up. "What do you want me to tell you? I already told them everything."

"Well you can repeat it and start with what the hell you have to do with all of this!"

The man began to quiver beneath the strong grip that held him up. He looked for help from Dave or Hotch but neither acknowledged his silent plea.

"He had my wife and son over my head. He threatened their lives if I didn't do what he said, and to take my punishment." He blurted out.

"Which was?" Derek asked and released the man with a small shove. Then crossed his arms tightly across his chest in an attempt to hold in his anger.

"He said I had not gotten what I deserved after the my selfish mistake."

"Who is this guy?" Derek asked, but looked to Dave.

Rossi sighed at the question. "I don't know. He's must feel he's an avenger of some sort."

"So why you?" Derek directed back to Tanner.

"I-I don't know. He said that his students find him."

Morgan wasn't satisfied with the conversation but took a quick step back when his phone caught his attention.

"Yeah?" He answered curtly.

"I'm sorry, did you just answer my call with _yeah_?" The voice scolded on the other side.

"Not now." His tone harsh.

"Are you kidding me right now? I sit here in this room, blind to what's happening, and you come at me like that?"

"You called me." He said bluntly.

"Okay so that's how we'll play it, but we are putting a pin in this conversation and it will be revisited."

Derek didn't respond and began to pace impatiently.

"Nick Ashton's," Garcia voice came back but was monotone with the shaky emotions hanging in the background. "There are at least seventy five within a hundred mile radius. That is not including the alternate spellings and nicknames. None of these men meet the height requirement of our creep."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, dear." Penelope sighed. "Nick Aston, the name of the Unsub John Tanner gave Hotch. He wasn't answering so I went to the next best choice, but maybe I need to rethink that list."

Her voice became stern. "I'm here to help, and this is what I can do."

"Okay, I get it. I-"

"I know." She interrupted him. "Just put all of that passion into finding our girl."

Derek took a deep breath to remind himself that to help Emily he needed to stay cool. "Did you check anyone that used the name as an alias?"

"Not a single hit. He probably just made it up. Do you have any other parameters I could use to narrow down my search?"

"Tanner has never seen him before, but he feels he needed to pay for his patient dying. Maybe he's linked to her somehow. Get background on her and anyone that may have been vocal about the malpractice suit."

"Okay." She answered her voice distant.

"Penelope." Derek tried.

"Yes?"

"Thank you, love. We'd be lost without you doing your thing."

* * *

Emily stared at the form that had pushed himself against the opposite wall. He tapped the large blade on his knee and stared at her. He sat in a comfortable patience. It was unnerving to her. He was arrogantly confident that no one was going to find them.

She looked over to Kelly and her heart ached. She felt completely useless, she had little energy to work on the rope that held her arms together. He made sure this time that it was tight; she couldn't fell her hands any longer. She had to rethink her strategy but at that point she wasn't even sure what it was. Survival mode was all she had left.

His deep voice rumbled through the room. "You know she's dead."

Emily didn't respond but turned back to look at Kelly. She began to open her mouth when he abruptly continued. "No, not her, well not yet. Your friend."

He paused and waited for a reaction. When he got it he smiled and continued, "John is a shot. It only took one." He smirked and tapped the point of the blade on his forehead. "Straight to the head."

Emily felt like another solid punch connected squarely into her gut. Her air caught in her throat, and tears welled again in her eyes. She only saw JJ disappear; she had no clue where she was hit. She took in a shaky breath in hopes to keep some control.

"I don't believe you." She spat back at him weakly.

"Yes you do, I saw it in your eyes. It was only an instant but I saw it."

"Go to hell."

"Oh, I've been there." He pointed the weapon in her direction. "Yours my dear has just begun."

The whole time she had felt like she was in a dream state and thought if she just shook herself awake she would be in her bed trying to shut her alarm up not the monster in front of her. He was trying to break her down more, and was succeeding.

Emily closed her eyes. She couldn't look into his piercing emotionless eyes any longer. Her mind flashed back to the last second she saw JJ. Everything happened so fast that he could be right, but she desperately wanted him to be wrong.

There was no doubt that she had entered a new realm of hell, but the worse aspect was that she had managed to take everyone down with her. It had become a domino effect. She took it upon herself to chase down the boy on the motorcycle and crashed them into a hill. Which led to getting Spencer shot. She convinced Hotch they should go into the woods. The rest was in front of her and she may never know the fate of one of her best friends. She usually was a rational decision maker. She couldn't pinpoint when that had changed. She would have been okay with the consequences if they fell solely on her, but the people she loved were paying for them.

Emily slowly raised her eyes when his movement caught her attention. She looked to Kelly but felt some relief that she was still out. He was readjusting his position and grimaced at the pain from the stab wound. Emily couldn't hold in the smirk that wanted to escape.

"Go ahead, enjoy it now, but it will be the last time you will ever want to do that."

It faded just as fast as it appeared when a whimper of pain escaped from Kelly. Emily turned her head back and saw that now he held the smile. He leaned against the wall and pushed himself up. She felt herself tense as he began his approach. A laugh began to roll through him and he twirled the knife playfully in his hand.

* * *

Aaron knew he was visibly and verbally impatient to get the search started, but didn't care. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his brows lowered so far that they almost touched. At first he thought the vibration he felt in his hand was his body shaking from his own anger, but realized it was his phone.

"Hotchner," he answered without looking to who it was.

Spencer's voice came through with a rushed excitement, "I know where he has Emily."

"What?"

"Michael and his grandfather dug a hunting blind one summer. I thought it was a strange story at first but then there was something similar in what Jayje was mumbling about. It makes sense."

Aaron shook his head in agreement. "John did say they were underground, but had no clue where it was because he was blindfolded each time they went down."

In that revelation he was moving and pointing to Dave and Morgan to grab their attention.

"Do you know where it is?" He asked as he picked up his pace.

"No but Michael does."

"Where is he?"

"Being taken to the station."

Hotch didn't hesitate to hang up on the Doctor and make the necessary call to get the teen back to them, or at least relay where they could find it. He had a sliver of hope back and desperately clung to it. He felt it slipping when once again it seemed that no one could move fast enough. He tried not to imagine the sight they could possibly come across when they reached that underground torture chamber.

* * *

_Yes what will that sight be? We are getting closer! I have the next chapter almost ready to go!_

_I'd love to hear your thoughts! Review button awaits!_

_Thank you for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you all so much! You're all the absolute best! _

_We crank it up again! Hope you enjoy!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Emily had given up holding back the tears. She was barely aware of them as they followed the path that had etched into her cheek. Every ounce of her screamed to stay strong but he had constantly found new ways to hammer down her walls. She felt weak in his solid and forceful arms. They wrapped themselves around her waist and squeezed to force her limp body to stand.

"It's time." He whispered in her ear.

She flinched at his words and her stomach turned; she knew what he meant. This was the end. She looked over to the toured body that lay unmoving and slouched in the chair. She knew Kelly would not have stayed unconscious long. She felt like there wasn't enough time for her to reclaim herself to do anything or think of a realistic plan.

"I should have done it this way all along, it has been so much more fun." He mused.

She could only cringe as his rancid breath brushed over her face. She tensed her body as he began to move her and his response was to simply tighten his hold. She let out a whimper as the air was pressed from her. She was useless to stop him, and he knew it. He couldn't help but chuckle at his power and easily dragged her behind the chair.

"This is going to be fun," he whispered and adjusted the large hunting knife that he clutched in his free hand.

Emily squirmed again when her eye caught the glistening blade.

"No, please," she begged, "don't do this. Please, you've done enough to her."

"You just don't get it do you?" He half laughed. He forced the knife into her hand and gripped it tightly in his.

His lips were close to her ear again. "It's about you."

The stubble on his cheek brushed along her face sending uncontrollable shivers through her. She tried to release the handle but his fingers were wrapped around hers with a bone crushing force. He moved them forward until they were directly behind Kelly. She squeezed her eyes shut when she caught the reflection in the mirror across from them.

"Oh no you don't." He growled, and when Emily refused to raise her lids he tensed his arm sending a shooting pain through her body. Her eyes shot open at the surge, and when they finally focused they locked with Kelly's. Emily felt her heart tear at this girl's continual torture and now eminent end.

His laugh haunted her. His mercilous stare bore into her and greedily soaked in the agony he created. Every slice of the knife he had performed on this woman was a cut deeper into her soul. Her mind echoed the screams, the pleading and the blood. It became clear; she had failed. There was nothing she could do to stop this monster.

She tensed her arm muscles as he began to bring her arm and knife to the front of Kelly.

"I want you to feel the blade cut through the flesh, one layer at a time. The blood and agony will forever be your punishment."

She saw in Kelly's eyes that she had given up and was waiting for the end. Emily tried to swallow the bile forcing its way up when she realized that she was going to be the reason this girl died. The blood would be on her, her hand making the final cut.

All those people she had felt like she maybe made a difference for didn't matter. She spent a career being that person that got into the heads of these heartless creatures to stop them, and all of those they had taken down didn't matter either. All that did was this girl's life, and it was in her hands. The unwavering strong voice that was once her own cried out for attention. It yelled at her not to give up. Emily couldn't ignore it and started to feel the fight begin to bubble up again.

"NO!" Emily screamed and pushed back against the wall of a man holding her.

She used his body for support and fought to resist him. She ignored the pain and continued to move every muscle in her body.

"Hold still!" He roared and struggled to hold her.

Emily ignored his demand. She pushed herself harder to find a way to be released, and if nothing else drop the knife. With all her strength she tried to push outward and straighten her arm. He tightened his grip and strained to bring the knife back to its intended target.

Emily bit back the cries that wanted to escape when the pain flashed in violent bursts. She felt like her fingers were about to break from the intensity of his grip.

She forced her focus to not let him win. She knew he would not be satisfied if the slit of his last victim's throat was not as precise and straight as all the others.

Emily believed that her only hope now was that he was not following his usual routine by forcing her to perform the final act. He was not prepared for the struggle and his focus became lost on just keeping her in place. He cursed at her and anger filled his voice. His pain inducing tactics were not working, and she could feel his frustration begin to reach a tipping point.

She threw her head back and found success when it met his jaw. His grip loosened from the shock of the pain. As his hand released hers the large blade dropped to the dirt floor. With both hands he grabbed her arms and yanked them back before he shoved her to the ground. Emily gasped at the sudden collision with the hard surface. As he moved to grab her again she lunged towards where the blade had finally come to rest. She didn't hesitate to flip around and plunge it into him.

He fell over gasping from the pain. His hands went immediately to the wound and stared at the protruding handle.

Emily looked away and over to Kelly. She had been watching the battle through half raised lids. Emily pushed herself onto her knees and crawled over to the chair. The leather straps proved to be a difficult and unexpected obstacle. The hand he had squeezed the life from could not grip the binds. She worked with her left frantically pulling to release the straps. As she tugged she kept one eye on the man. She felt some contentment that he was consumed with his own peril. After he slowly removed the knife from his body his eyes were back on them. She knew at that point that she had to move fast. Finally, she found success to release the restraints.

His movement caught Emily's eye and her attention went back to his actions. He slowly pushed himself off the wall and attempted to take a step towards them, but just as fast he was hunched over from the pain and went to his knees. He muttered breathless curses at her and moved back against the wall to ease himself back to an upright position.

Emily saw her chance and pulled Kelly up. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I don't know." The blonde replied weakly.

"You have to try for me. I don't know if I can carry you."

The young girl nodded and with Emily's help she stood up on her shaky legs. They refused to hold her and gave out. She cried out in pain and both of them were pulled down with her weight. Emily was back on her feet before her body could respond to the fall and reject her mental fight to get them out.

She could hear his heavy breathing but refused to turn around. She put all her strength into putting distance from him. Kelly dragged her feet and groaned in the pain each step caused.

"We're getting out. My team is out there looking for us. They'll find us." She whispered.

The words were to encourage Kelly but they felt like a half lie. She had to convince herself that it would happen. She knew the team was looking, but she had no clue where they were and even if they were looking in the right place.

When she reached to top of the small incline of makeshift stairs Emily adjusted herself to push the hatch open. It easily lifted and a layer of leaves and branches fell into the open space.

Kelly was nothing more than dead weight on the verge of losing consciousness again. It was an effort to walk and move. Emily hoped the adrenaline lasted long enough this time to put some real distance from him or at least find a place to hide. Emily looked around the thick branches unsure of which way to head. Taking another step Kelly's knees suddenly caved and she went down in one solid heap. Her weight tugged at Emily and she lost her balance and when she moved to regain it she tripped over the unmoving body on the ground. She crashed down hard; her elbows and forearms took the brunt of the fall. She ignored the immediate sting and pain that shot up her limbs. She pushed herself up and glanced back to where they had escaped. She expected to see him emerge, but felt some relief when he didn't. The opening itself looked like an unnatural hole, but closed it would have been easily camouflaged by the surrounding brush.

She turned herself back over and rolled Kelly with her. She cringed at the mangled body in front to her. She peeled off her shirt and haphazardly covered her freshly bleeding ripped and torn flesh. The brisk morning air stung her bare skin, but she welcomed it to the stale dead air they had been forced to endure.

She wrapped herself around the girl's thin frame in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She felt the warm liquid on her skin as it quickly soaked through the thin material. Time was running out for her and a silent panic began to make itself known in Emily. She got them out but now what? She knew they couldn't stay there. He would come for them and where they lay only feet from the opening they were easy targets. She could make progress when Kelly was awake and able to make an effort, but no way she had the strength to carry her now. Emily wasn't even sure if dragging her would do any good, it might even make her injuries worse.

Emily looked up to the sky through the canopy. The new day was dawning. The sun was cresting over the tree line and caught itself on the leaf-laden branches. Her heart began to pound harder when she heard the crackling of dead leaves and the snap of branches. Her eyes searched frantically around them, and she held her breath as she listened. An array of dark forms began to appear in all directions. Emily felt relief flood over her and she called out to them.

Their familiar faces came into focus and when they confirmed contact their pace picked up.

Derek skid to his knees as he reached her. His hand went to touch her but hesitated as his eyes scanned her bloody body and then to the one beneath her. He yanked his jacket off and flung it over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He finally said breathlessly.

Before he could say another word she was pointing to the hole in the ground.

"He's down there and injured." She stammered.

Derek hesitated as he took her in. She saw his debate to stay with her or get the bastard. She made it easy for him. "Get him already."

He nodded and rose and made his move towards the hole pointing his gun into the abyss below. He straddled over it and waited impatiently for a few of the officers to back him up before descending into it.

Aaron took his place next to Emily, but she did not acknowledge him until she saw the last body disappear below ground.

"Where are you hurt?" He asked.

Emily felt the weakness begin to make its statement and all she could do was shake her head, and look down to the woman below. She was swiftly moved from her post as the medics began to take the initial steps to save Kelly's life. Questions were thrown at Emily but she struggled to answer. Was she hurt? She couldn't remember. She knew she wanted to crawl out of her skin to escape the mud and blood that consumed her, but it had already seeped into her pores and hooked in.

A gust of wind blew and as it swept past her she felt the chaos begin. She didn't know where to focus her attention. The words coming from the medics worried her. She heard Hotch's questions but she couldn't concentrate on what he was trying to ask. Her heart stopped when one word suddenly came through crystal clear.

"What?" She asked to no one in particular and pushed herself to try and stand. She swayed to the side when her head spun from the quick movement. She tired to shake Aaron's strong grip that appeared to help hold her steady.

The word was there again drifting up from the ground. She looked back to Hotch, "What does he mean it's clear?"

"Emily." Was all he could say.

His soothing tone did nothing and her frustration took hold. She twisted and pulled to free herself from him.

"Whoa slow down." He responded and brought her in tighter. All her body allowed her to do was collapse.

Aaron caught her weight and lowered her slowly to the ground. He continued to speak but to her it was distant words. She needed to hear from Morgan what the hell he meant. She tried again to pull away from Hotch but failed and resigned to watch from her knees.

She caught Derek's eyes as he emerged. His face was filled with the horror that was found below. At that moment Emily wasn't concerned with the nightmare that had occurred. Derek was supposed to have his grip around the monster's shackled arms, but he came up empty handed.

He shook his head in confusion. "No one's down there."

"It can't be." She blurted out past the tightness that had suddenly clenched her throat.

"There is something that looks like a collapsed tunnel, but-" A burly officer added as he appeared from behind Morgan.

Emily shook her head in disbelief and looked down and saw her blood stained body. The tremors began to wrack her and she no longer felt the supportive hands on her shoulders. The blood rushed from her head and the world began to spin out of control. All she could do was close her eyes to it and hope it might right itself when she emerged again.

* * *

_Uh oh! Safe but for how long?_

_Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you all for the continual support! You really are the best! So here is a little breather from the madness. It's just a little one though._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

JJ's battle with sleep was a futile one. Spencer sat with her and continually encouraged her to let her body rest, but a panicking dread consumed her. She was afraid if she slept she would miss something or worse wake to that fear being a reality. She bargained with Reid to wake her the minute he had any news. With his sincere promise she stopped her fruitless fight and allowed the medication to pull her down.

A chair being raked across the linoleum was the first thing that shook her back into reality, yet her eyes refused to open. They felt like lead weights had attached themselves to her lashes. She pulled and pried until she succeeded in raising them. She let them focus on the ceiling briefly before she searched the room for the origin of the voices she heard.

She made out the back of Spencer, but she couldn't see whom he was speaking to. He was hunched over on the crutches, his form blocked out the entire doorway. She tried to call out to him but her mouth felt like it was packed with cotton and denied her volume.

She tried to sit up and her ribs reminded her quickly that any movement would result in sharp pain. She gasped and took in shallow breaths to try and control it.

Her sudden outburst brought attention to her. Spencer turned and began to make his way towards her with Rossi closely behind him. When they reached her no one spoke at first. Spencer put his weight on the crutches and leaned over to the tray that rested along side the bed. He carefully lifted the pitcher and poured some water, and smiled to the blonde as he handed it to her bending the straw for easier consumption. She happily took it and felt relief as the cool liquid coated her mouth and throat.

She thanked him and her eyes followed his movement to set the plastic cup down. They moved back slowly to the other agent. It hadn't registered that Dave being there was significant. The drug induced fog lifted and as it did she looked nervously from Spencer to Rossi in an attempt to read their faces.

"How are you feeling?" Dave asked before she could speak.

"What happened?" She asked ignoring his query.

Both agents glanced at each other, and their hesitation didn't help.

"Tell me," she demanded.

Spencer reached out and grabbed her hand. "It's okay. Emily's here and being treated. She's going to be okay."

"What happened?" She repeated.

"We really don't know. She won't give us much detail except the UnSub's description, and that she wants out of here to find the guy."

"He got away?" She asked in shock. "What else?"

Dave looked again to Spencer before he continued, "we do know that she was made to watch what he did to Kelly Parsons."

"Oh god!" JJ covered her mouth in shock. She didn't need any further details to know the repercussions. "Where is she?"

Dave turned his neck and looked behind him. "In the ER. Morgan's with her trying to keep her calm."

JJ began to sit up further, "I need to get to her."

"No, you need to stay here." Spencer said and moved closer to the bed to block her progress.

"She's safe." Rossi tried to reassure.

JJ shook her head, "you don't understand."

A sudden smile crept across Dave's face. "You are two peas in a pod."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"They threatened to strap her down if she didn't calm down. Derek's busy smoothing things over and trying to convince them she'll cooperate."

"What?"

"Besides her hate of hospitals she's insistent to see you."

"Then I'll go to her." JJ said bluntly.

She hastily flew the sheet off and swung her legs over the edge. The rushed reposition caused dots to fill her vision and her arm immediately wrapped around her abdomen to hold in the agony.

"Hey slow down," Dave said catching her body as it swayed.

She stared at the speckled floor below her to regain herself. "No, I need to go."

Feeling more in control she looked up to the man over her. She was ready to beg and plead, but she saw the understanding in his eyes.

"If we do this, we do it my way," Dave insisted.

"Okay." She agreed and watched him disappear briefly before he returned with a wheelchair.

JJ was disappointed when Dave wheeled into Emily's room and Derek sat alone scrolling through his phone. He rose quickly when he caught sight of them.

"She's at CT." He said before anyone could ask.

"How is she really?"

"She's physically going to be okay. The biggest concern is how bad her concussion is." He shifted his weight in an unnaturally nervous manner. "Of course she's not talking about what happened."

"She's a tough cookie." Rossi reassured.

"I'm not denying that, and she's covering it all too well. She experienced something down there." He shook his head as his eyes recalled what he saw. "No matter how hard she pushes it down it's going to come back at some point."

The concern Derek had did nothing to ease JJ's own anxiety for her friends state.

"So what's the plan to find him?" She asked looking from Derek to the senior profiler.

Dave shrugged, "Hotch has been on the phone most of the morning with local law enforcement and the field office to start checkpoints. They've alerted all the areas hospitals and urgent cares."

"That's even if he makes it off the property." Reid interjected. "If he caused the collapse of the tunnel there is a forty percent chance he didn't make it out the other end."

"Do we even know where that other end is?" Derek asked.

"They're looking." The young Doctor shrugged and an uneasy silence took the room. It was broken when Hotch peered around the doorframe.

He looked around and made eye contact with each standing agent. "A quick meeting guys."

As the men began to move away from the blonde Aaron directed himself to her. "How're you feeling?"

"Better, and ready to get out of here." She answered as convincingly as she could.

He softly smiled back, "good. When you're cleared I want you to go to the hotel and rest."

"But-" She began to protest but caught her words when Aaron's brow furrowed and he shook his head.

"I want you and Prentiss to rest for a couple hours. We can reassess the roles you two will have then." He didn't wait for a response and moved to the side so the other profilers could exit.

She nodded her unwanted acceptance and watched them disappear from view. She placed her aching head in her hand. She could feel the drugs begin to wear off and her sudden movements from earlier were making their statement. She became uncomfortable sitting and thought maybe standing would relieve the pressure she felt on her chest. She rose slowly and began to shuffle around the space in small circles. The moving didn't help the pounding that had returned in her head. She stopped trying to walk and she leaned her weight onto the hospital bed. Once stationary she closed her eyes and tried to ignore that each breath was a painful task.

"Jayje." A surprised and relieved voice brought her suddenly back.

She looked up to see Emily being pushed into the room. Her eyes were wide in disbelief and overwhelmed relief. Emily stopped the man pushing her chair and she rose and slowly stepped towards the blonde. Her eyes became concerned at JJ's discomfort.

Emily put her hand out and softly touched her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

JJ gave a small nod, but didn't speak.

"Here sit down." Emily said and moved to escort her back to the wheelchair.

JJ accepted the assistance and pushed off from the edge of the bed. When they were both upright she made sure their eyes met. "I was so scared that-"

Emily stopped her and gently pulled her into an embrace.

"Me too," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "you have no idea."

"Didn't anyone tell you?" JJ asked as she pulled back a little to make eye contact again.

Emily's head dropped slightly. "It didn't matter until I saw you, I can't explain."

"Okay." JJ hesitantly accepted her answer. Before she could prod more Emily was guiding her back to the wheelchair. After sitting she followed Emily's controlled movements to the chair Morgan had occupied.

JJ examined the brunette; her clouded sad eyes overpowered her bruised face. "Are you okay?"

Emily nodded slightly and faked a smile, "yeah, just a bit of a headache."

"Come on Em." JJ scoffed in disbelief. There wasn't any surprise to the response, but she hoped for more.

Emily just looked away as she sat up a little straighter. She remained in the uncomfortable silence unwilling to budge from her stubbornness.

"It's me," JJ encouraged.

Emily turned back at her words but when their eyes met she quickly diverted them again. The pain she saw in the brief glance was overpowering, but Emily refused access. Her agitation and unease became more obvious when she began to pick at her nail.

"Emily, please." She tried again.

Emily sighed but continued to avoid contact. She looked around the room again and abruptly changed the subject. "Where did everyone go?"

JJ simply stared at her, and refused to answer until Emily brought her eyes back. She could play the game too; she needed to see her friend in her dark eyes. Emily knew her eyes betrayed her constantly and was the reason for her resistance.

The unanswered question remained and the brunette finally relented and looked back. "It's not going to do anyone any good right now."

"You." JJ replied plainly.

Emily only shook her head. "So?"

"So what?"

"Where is everyone?" She asked again.

JJ shrugged in frustration and then looked out the door. "Meeting with Hotch. Apparently we're at the bottom of the need to know list."

"Great." Emily huffed and laid her head against the hard wall. "This waiting is a waste of time."

"We'll get him. We may be beat up and broken, but he has no clue who he's messing with."

"Right, and sitting in this place is doing a lot to accomplish that." Emily said with sarcasm dripping from each word.

JJ let the room become silent again. She knew at that moment there were no words that would give Emily any comfort, but she was not going to let it go.

Both woman looked up when Dave reentered the room.

"Ladies," he greeted, "I hate to break this up but the doctors waiting patiently for a certain escapee."

JJ looked back to Emily and her relief from her momentary reprieve, and it only frustrated her more.

She was worried about her reaction when she received the orders to go back to the hotel for a few hours. The time alone in her own head was going to be a bad thing. She only hoped that maybe she could be some support for her, and put a dent in her armour.

* * *

Derek paused in the doorway and took in a heavy breath. It was hours later and everyone was safe, yet he still didn't feel like he could catch it. He probably wouldn't really be able to until he knew for sure Emily was okay. He saw the remains of that underground nightmare, and what was done to Kelly. It was one thing to see the aftermath of what the worst humanity has to offer, but then to actually witness it was a whole other beast.

He released the breath slowly and moved quietly into the room. Emily was unaware of his presence at first and stared mindlessly at her hands. He approached the bed and bent to the side slightly to catch her eye.

When she finally looked up he smiled. "Hey."

She only creased her lips in acknowledgement and sat up straighter. She swiveled her body and swung her legs over the edge. Before she could push off he was stopping her.

"Where are you going?" Morgan asked.

"Anywhere but here." She grumbled and sat back slightly squinting her eyes at him. A deep frown formed when she looked around him. "Where's the chariot? Aren't you here to rescue me?"

He shook his head and pulled the chair that was against the wall. "Not quite yet. Just waiting for the doc."

She let out a heavy sigh, but didn't say a word. She put her hands down on the thin mattress to push herself back to the position she had started in. A sudden yelp of pain escaped her and she brought her injured hand tight into her body. An almost silent whimper remained on the end of each controlled breaths.

"You okay?" Derek asked his hands reached out towards her but unsure what to do.

"Fine." She responded through clenched teeth.

He stepped back slightly and was about to reply when she spoke up.

"What did Hotch say? What's our next move?"

"We've got it covered." He hesitated when saw the doubt in her eyes and tried to quell it. "The property is being raked over as we speak. The place is crawling with Feds and local PD. He has no where to go."

"Did the Tanners finish with the sketch artist, or give up anything else? Maybe that's the first thing I should do-"

"No, the first thing you should do is rest. We have your description out there."

"He'll probably hide out. I injured him, he might seek medical attention."

"It's covered." He repeated. "You've done everything you could right now."

Complete shock flashed across Emily's face and she glared at him. "No I haven't."

Derek only shook his head. "Right now we don't even know if Strauss is going to let us remain on the case."

"What? No!" Her voice rose quickly. "I'm not going anywhere until I know that Kelly is safe and we get this guy."

"Emily-"

"Has Garcia gotten any where? When was the last time you talked to her?"

"Emily-" He tried again.

She disregarded him and continued her rapid-fire questions. "Why don't you do a cognitive? There has to be something I'm missing."

"Emily!" he said louder and with more force.

She stopped at his tone, but the anxiety and tension that exuded from her persisted. Once again she attempted to get off the bed. "I won't sit here and wait for a stupid test that tells me what I already know."

Her sudden movement became too much and as her feet took her weight she faltered. Morgan saw her instability and was over her before her legs had a chance to give out. He wrapped his arm around her waist to help her steady. Her hands had shot to the side of the bed and she clutched the sheets for support.

He softly scolded her, "you need to slow down."

Her focus had gone to steadying her breath. When she finally opened her eyes she turned then to him and they were pleading.

"Can we please just leave?"

"I'll see what I can do." He answered and pointed back to the crumpled white sheets. "Just get back in the bed okay?"

Emily groaned her frustration but complied. He helped her slowly return to the position she had been in when he walked in. She dug her head into the pillow behind her and closed her eyes. He paused and watched her. He didn't want to move until she opened them again.

When she caught his stare she raised a confused eyebrow. "What?"

He smiled softly and shook his head in response before he moved out of the room. As he left the quiet of the room he entered a chaotic scene. People moved around frantically and he heard hurried voices of nurses. The place was packed with more patients than medical staff, and the strain could be felt. He approached the nurse's station but his focus was on the flurry of action that was happening behind a nearby curtain. A nurse flew from the thin barrier and ordered the one behind the desk to call up to surgery in regards to an abdominal stab wound.

Morgan's heart stopped. His eyes went back to the curtain and caught a glimpse of a white male on the gurney. He turned abruptly to the nurse.

"Who is that man?"

Confusion crossed her face and she twisted her head towards him. "I'm sorry?"

"Who is the man with the stab wound?" He repeated and turned to walk towards the center of the frenzy. He hadn't taken a step when a hand came across his chest to stop him. "I'm sorry sir but you can't go in there."

Frustrated he whipped out his credentials. "The man may be a suspect in a series of murders and the kidnapping of a federal agent. Didn't you get the alert to be on the look out and report a patient fitting that description?"

"Sir." The nurse persisted.

The fire began to rage again in him. The images of this man's victims and the look on Emily's face when he found her were clear in his mind. He began to see red.

Derek easily removed her arm and stormed past the curtain. The nurses working were startled and stopped at his intrusion. He had a general description but trusted that he would be able to pick him out easily. He only felt more infuriated when a small twenty something boy returned contact, not a larger than life middle aged man. Before anyone could say or do anything he was already moving away cursing under his breath.

_It couldn't be that easy,_ he thought. He had to calm down; there was no way that man would be able to get past the uniforms swarming the Tanner property.

He walked back to the station to finish the simple request from Emily. As he waited for the nurse to compile the necessary paper work his eyes roamed the ER. His focus was on no one in particular. His mind was overloaded with thoughts, memories and the anger that still hovered on the surface. A curtain across from him was partially open and he briefly caught the eye of the person in the bed. The older man gave him a sideways smile, and he gestured slightly to the agent. He glared back. He didn't care if he had made a scene or disturbed anyone; he had bigger things to worry about. As the man raised his arm in the questioning manner Derek's eyes briefly caught the hint of ink that peeked out from under his shirt sleeve. Morgan was about to analyze further, but disregarded him when the nurse called for his attention.

He turned to busy himself with the paperwork she handed him. He became curious again and glanced back but his view became blocked by the doctor that had pulled the curtain shut.

_Calm down Derek_, he breathed and focused to finished the last page. As he did an orderly arrived wheeling the chair towards him. Before he took it, his eyes went back to the curtained off area. He suddenly remembered the man he had made eye contact with earlier; something suddenly struck him odd. He decided not to overthink it when no one occupied the bed any longer.

* * *

_Do you think? Could it be? I guess you'll just have to wait and see!_

_I was going to try and get another update before I left town, but to be realistic it may not happen. :( The plus is I will have pen and paper while away from modern technology, and have mass amounts of free time to write. So be ready I may just overload you with updates when I return!_

_Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you so much for the reviews alerts/ favs and for sticking with the story! _

_I got this bit done before we left civilization! Thank you for the well wishes I'm looking forward to the trip._

_I hope that you caught your breath last chapter cause it about to ramp up again and be pretty rough for a while!_

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

The car moved along slowly but Emily was unaware of its progress. She lowered the window for the cool air to refresh her skin, and closed her eyes to the sensation, but the relief only lasted momentarily. The two passengers sat in a strained silence. There was no noise except for the flapping of the wind through the half opened window.

How long would he allow her to remain in her head? She hoped for now at least, she needed the silence and solitude. He refused her constant requests to go to the office and not the hotel, so she closed herself off to any other conversation. She had only given up her protest because she wanted a real shower. She had no plans to sleep; she'd take a cab back if no one would drive her.

Morgan would not hear of doing a cognitive interview at this point, and that more than frustrated her. Three people had seen this man, and she was one of them. She thought everyone was too satisfied with their description and artist rendition that they got from the Tanner's. How could they be okay with the lack of information or leads? This man was a ghost, and a deadly one at that. She hated feeling helpless and by everyone pushing her to take a step back was just more aggravating.

She stared out the window, her vision unfocused. The world in front of her was nothing more than a blur of green masses and grey buildings that blended together.

She snapped into reality briefly as the car came to a stop at a light. The red stared down and her and she began to feel impatient for it to change. Sirens wailed and somewhere a horn honked, but they were all insignificant background noises. She felt Derek's eyes on her. She purposefully kept her head turned away to not acknowledge his constant concern.

As she stared past the window her eyes caught the effects of the warm day, and casually gazed at the park they were stopped next to. It was bursting with life. Parents occupied benches, visiting with each other and following the antics of their little ones that raced up and down the playground. Laughter and shrieks of delight filled the air. She watched a mother push her small son on a swing. Pure joy filled the boys face as he swung to and fro. The scene should have been a contagious one, creating an instant smile on the brunettes face, but the dark cloud held its ground. She could only see the monster that lurked behind the trees and hid in the shadows. He was ready to pounce at any moment to steal the innocence from the child, and utterly destroy his mother.

The sudden forward movement redirected her. She blinked away the thought and was relieved that the light had finally changed. The next few minutes became just as blank in her mind as the previous ten. The car jerking to a stop signaled their arrival to the hotel, and Emily didn't hesitate to pull the handle and initiate her escape.

"Prentiss."

She stopped at his voice and turned back to the dark agent.

"Hold up." He called to her. She remained still and watched his movements as he got out.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "You only need to come up if your going to wait. I'm just going to shower and be ready to go."

"Not happening." He tried to joke, but his smile faded when she didn't return it.

Emily stared at him and felt the anger begin to bubble. "This is ridiculous and you know it."

Derek stopped and leaned forward against the hood. "Emily, listen to me. We're going to get him, and we need you. Please just take some time to rest, then help us with a clear head."

"A clear head," she huffed under her breath, "right."

"Emily-"

"No Derek, you don't understand. We have to get ahead of him; I can't take a minute to rest. What good does that do Kelly or any of his other victims?"

"There are five very capable minds working on it right now. No one is pushing you away."

"Okay, then come in and wait. I can be back down in ten minutes."

"No."

_Fine_ she mouthed and gently shut the door and turned to walk away. She listened for him to follow, and wasn't surprised when he was quickly in front of her opening the door.

He eyed her as she slide past him. "I just want to make sure you actually get to your room."

"Now you're wasting time babysitting." She said without looking at him.

"Prentiss stop."

Emily ignored his request and kept moving. When they reached the elevator Derek reached out and gently turned her to face him.

She shook her head. "I can't sit around in a dark hotel room knowing that man is out there."

"I know, but more than anything I need you okay."

Emily took in a breath to stop herself before her frustration over took her forced cool. "Put your concerns in Kelly being okay, and getting this guy. I'm fine."

"Of course you are." Derek's voice was thick with doubt. He frowned and looked up to the lights that indicated the progress of the elevator. "Rest and in a few hours come help us get the son of a bitch."

His words did nothing for her. She pressed the elevator button impatiently.

"Yeah." She replied sharply, the word escaping under her breath.

When the elevator doors opened on her floor Emily couldn't move fast enough down the hall, but when she reached the door she hesitated. She tilted her head and glance back to Morgan. He leaned against the wall and patiently waited for her to use the key card and enter the room. She blew out a breath at the same time as she slowly turned the handle. She didn't want to be loud if JJ was asleep. The room was shaded in darkness and the almost silent breathing from the blonde filled the room. Emily eyed Derek and grabbed her go-bag before heading to the bathroom.

"Five minutes." She whispered.

He shook his head and raised his eyebrows as he watched her retreat. She knew when she emerged he'd be gone, but that meant nothing to her determination to get back and actively working on the case.

She shut the door and ran the water turning it as hot as it would go. As she waited for the desired temperature she dug through her bag for a pair of slacks and dress shirt. She tried to avoid it but her reflection caught her eye. She quickly looked away not wanting to believe that was her damaged self looking back.

She instead busied herself to remove the bandage on her wrist and hand. The rhythmic pattern almost became calming until the swollen hand was revealed. The image of the knife that was forced in it flashed in front of her. It was clear there was no escape from the memories. She knew it was only going to get worse.

"Great." She sighed and winced at the pain as she failed to close her hand into a fist. Steam began to fill around her and she ignored the pain to remove the hospital scrubs she had been given.

Satisfied with the water she got in and leaned back into the scalding stream and let it pound her body. She wanted to feel the burn and imagine it scorching the layer of her that was covered in the horrors from earlier. She closed her eyes but they shot open when Kelly's blood filled her vision. The nightmare was always going to be right under the surface waiting for her, to remind her of her failure.

The solitude began to reveal her fear. She had no way to hide from herself, and the ounce of control she had left began to slip. The tremble began in her hands and slowly enveloped her body. She wrapped herself into a ball to control it but the tremors persisted and the sobbing began. She stared at the water bounce and shatter on the tub. They mixed seamlessly with her tears. She tried to shake it and swallowed the hard lump that had formed. She wiped her hand across her face, and reminded herself that she couldn't allow herself to break down, not yet anyway. It wouldn't do Kelly or anyone any good if she did.

She hastily turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She hurried through the routine of drying off and haphazardly threw on her clothes. She realized how useless her hand really was when she tried button her blouse. Her frustration to the task began to tip her emotions further. It was another waste of time. She then threw her hair into a messy wet ponytail. Before she fled from the claustrophobic space she glanced into the foggy mirror. She felt some contentment that she couldn't make out her distorted form, and assumed herself to be somewhat presentable.

She silently exited the bathroom and closed the door slightly, letting it remain a crack so some light came into the room. She moved to sit and put on her boots. The bed next to her shifted and JJ let out a slight groan. Emily froze and looked to her but when she didn't wake Emily exhaled and moved to finish. The simple task became another exhausting and frustrating one.

The constant headache she had been ignoring remained at the base of her skull and the dark room began to take an effect on her. With only one boot on she sprawled back against the pillow and let her head sink down into it. She used her good hand to rub her forehead for some relief and took in a few shallow breaths.

She kept the one shoed leg off the bed to remind her not to get too comfortable. The darkness and distance of sleep suddenly became too appealing to ignore. A brief nap was an option and she convinced herself she could set an alarm for twenty minutes, but her body became too heavy and her mind drifted off.

* * *

Emily threw the blanket over her body and tucked it in tight. It was warm, but her body was wracked with chills. The air was silent and heavy. She felt herself floating between the two levels of consciousness.

A sound of footsteps around the bed made her freeze. She held her breath and listened. She didn't want to make any sudden movements until she had a grasp on what she heard. It could easily have been JJ getting up. Yet, she couldn't deny the ominous feel that the person exuded. She needed to look to calm herself and remind her they were safe, but her gut kept telling her that they weren't. Her hand searched for her gun, but came up empty. She remembered that it was recovered at the scene and she had planned on retrieving it when she went to the office. She was suddenly regretting falling asleep.

Emily slowly turned over to face the demon when it took charge. His large frozen hand covered her mouth and a sharp blade appeared. He teasingly traced along her cheek. The sensation sent icy shivers down her spine and she becomes paralyzed. How the hell had he been able to get in? She knew it was only a matter of time that he'd reappear, but she didn't expect it so soon.

His mouth twisted into an evil grin and he tilted his head as he whispered down to her. "Remember, its about you."

A whimper caught Emily's attention and she turned her eyes from the beast that hovered over her. There in the dark at the end of the bed was the silouette of JJ. Rope crisscrossed over her arms and chest and tape was tightly adhered to her mouth. She tried to lunge forward to free her, but the tight sheets held her captive. He laughed at her efforts. It was clear he had the control.

In an instant he was behind JJ. His enormous shadow eclipsed her form, and he grasped a handful of hair yanking her head back. With his free hand he held the hunting knife forcefully to the blondes quivering neck. Emily's throat closed and words became lost.

When she finally forced air out a shaky plea drifted with it, but did nothing to deter the man from pressing the blade harder. Its razor edge created a thin line of blood along JJ's pale skin.

"This is so much better," he sighed, "don't you think?"

His vicious voice grated her, but her focus could not be taken from her friend.

Emily saw the fear fill the cerulean eyes in front of her. Nausea washed over her. He was keeping his word, and within seconds about to destroy two lives.

* * *

_Tis short but not so sweet! I had to cut it off at that point sorry, well not really. ;)_

_Thank you sooooo much for reading and don't forget to review!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you all so much for your patience. The trip was fun but unfortunately all the writing I anticipated did not happen. But I'm back on track now._

_Thank you for the continual support it means more than I can express!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Emily screamed as the blade glided smoothly across JJ's neck. She flinched as the crimson life sprayed across the bed and her. Emily lunged again and was suddenly free from the sheets that had restrained her and it sent her hurdling forward. She pushed herself up and looked past the end of the bed expecting to see the lifeless body of her friend, but nothing lay before her. She looked down to her hands and sheets and there was no blood. Her confused eyes began to adjust slowly to the gray forms in the room.

"Emily?"

Her head shot to the concerned voice. In the darkness she saw JJ's shadowed figure standing by the bed. Emily's stomach suddenly rolled backwards then lurched forward. She bolted off the mattress. Her leg that had been hanging off the side had fallen asleep and gave way when she put weight to it. She stumbled back to her right to regain some balance and her shoulder clipped the corner of the wall. She bounced off it, but forced herself forward towards the sliver of light. She fumbled with the bathroom door and once successfully in she crumpled to her knees and hung over the bowl.

Emily's stomach clenched and then surged upward. With each heaving wave the blood would pound and press outward on her skull. The episode lasted less than a minute but left her exhausted. Her head felt heavy and though the agony of the throbbing lessoned some it was an effort to even raise it. She left it resting on her hand with her eyes closed.

"Emily?"

The voice was back and with it all the images she had just experienced came rushing forward. Her gut wrenched into another knot and she could hear his voice and see the knife flicker in the minimal light that had occupied the room. It all felt so real she doubted what was really in front of her. The sound of running water peaked her curiosity and she slowly turned her head and opened her eyes. She saw JJ, but her mind warned her that she wasn't really there.

Emily hesitantly accepted the cool damp towel that was handed to her. She avoided eye contact, but a quick glance in her direction she saw the concern. Emily hated that look because it meant opening up and talking. To rip the bandage off and the letting the wounds bleed. She'd prefer to keep it covered. It was more than clear that in this case the line had blurred to what could be concealed and what needed to be revealed. She was in the middle of it all and the case depended on what she saw. She just wasn't sure how to give them what they needed without exposing herself completely in the process.

"I think we need to go back to the hospital."

Emily peered curiously at JJ for a moment. She studied her pain filled eyes and the careful way she held her body.

"Why? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

JJ leaned against the sink and a small smile crept across her face. "No, I mean you. You do have a pretty bad concussion."

"Oh," Emily whispered and slowly pushed herself backwards from the rim of the bowl and let the wall support her. She closed her eyes again until she felt the spinning cease.

JJ allowed the silence to remain between them until Emily looked back to her. "Are you okay?"

Emily nodded and strategically turned it around. "Are you? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

The thin smile returned. "Only when I breathe. But it doesn't help when you have to make sudden movements because your friend wakes up screaming and crashes her way to the bathroom."

Emily didn't respond, and looked down. The last thing she wanted was to show how weak she really felt. This man had his talons in her and was in control of more than she'd like to admit.

"I'm sorry," she forced out and turned her head back to the blonde. When their eyes met she suddenly saw the fear that had occupied her dream and her stomach took a dive again. It took all the control she had left to remain against the wall and not over the toilet.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Emily took in a shaky breath and peered towards the bowl. "Looks like I threw up."

JJ rolled her eyes and released an irritated sigh that turned into a pain filled hiss. She then eased her weight from the edge of the sink and reached out to hold onto the door. JJ stood in contemplation and fought for words that meant something while Emily pretended that the whole ordeal hadn't turned her entire world upside down.

"Is a car coming to get us?" Emily asked avoiding the pressing issue.

JJ gingerly lowered herself to Emily's level and began to fix the buttons on her shirt resulting in the brunette to stiffen at the proximity of the blonde.

"Sorry," she apologized but didn't stop, "you're not going anywhere until your shirt is right, your other boot is on and your hair-" JJ stopped talking and continued the task in silence when she saw her point was made.

* * *

Derek turned from the board he had stared at the last thirty minutes when Rossi strolled in.

"Did you get anything else from Tanner?"

Dave shook his head and slipped into a chair next to Spencer. "The man is a shocked witness. He can't give us anything more than he already has, and his son doesn't know anything."

"Great!" Morgan said with pure frustration. He whipped open the file folder he was holding and flipped through the notes. He slammed it shut and flew it across the table not caring if its contents remained intact. "So where does that leave us?"

Spencer bent down and began to pick up and organize the papers that had come loose.

"Leave it kid. There's nothing in it that will do us any good."

"Emily." Spencer answered quietly.

"What?"

Spencer continued to shuffle the papers and spoke without looking up. "We have Emily. She'll be able to give us a lot of information."

"Reid's right." Hotch acknowledged, "but we need to be careful."

He looked around at the shocked faces but pressed his point. "By no means treat her like a victim, but we need to be aware of what she experienced."

Reid opened his mouth again when Morgan's hand going up to stop him caught his attention. He turned to see what he was looking at and saw JJ and Emily walking through the door.

"That was barely two hours," Derek said looking at his watch.

"Nice to see you too," JJ scoffed and eased into the chair that Dave had pulled out for her.

Emily acknowledged the concerned eyes at the table and drifted past them making a beeline to Derek. She held a determined look that if she didn't do what was on her mind she never would.

"You ready to do this?" She asked.

Morgan looked from the brunette to Hotch then back. "Yeah, if you are."

He spun on his heels to catch up to her as she headed for small office behind them. After following her in he grabbed the door. He turned the handle and eased it shut in an attempt to not make any noise. He cautiously followed her movements. The room became filled with her nervous energy. It was an unusual feeling coming from her, and put him on alert.

He pulled two chairs to face each other but kept one eye on the brunette. She was pacing behind the desk creating small circles in the cramped space. He didn't want to rush her and stood quietly with his hands laced in front of him.

The seconds ticked and finally her head turned towards him. She wrapped her arms around herself and moved to the chair and sat. She immediately began to pick at her thumb nail, her eyes fixated on the nervous habit.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Derek asked taking the spot across from her.

Emily's eyes lifted to meet his. "Let's just do it."

"Okay," he said and leaned down resting his forearms on his knees.

She pushed back slightly at the space that had closed between them. He eased up a little to try and make her more comfortable. He began to feel he was really interviewing a victim, not his sturdy and strong partner. He began to understand Hotch's warning.

He saw she was becoming antsy and he jumped in. "You woke up, what was the first thing that you saw?"

Emily took a calming breath before she answered. Her eyes looked past Derek as she put herself back in the underground nightmare.

"There was hardly any light. I was confused and tried to remember what happened." She then looked up and away avoiding eye contact. "The air was muggy and hot and I could taste the dirt that surrounded me."

"So you knew you were underground?"

She nodded an answer and he continued. "What else do you see? Is there anyone around?"

"Yeah, he came from the shadows and moved under the light. I can't really make him out, but he's big."

She drew in another breath. "He tied me to the chair before he began-" she stopped briefly as the memory flooded her. "I hadn't seen Kelly until he moved her."

"What is he doing?"

Her eyes slowly closed and her fingers intertwined into a tight knot.

"He has scalpels and knives next to him." She swallowed and a slight shiver rolled through her. "He, he works like he has done it before."

Then she went silent again, but he could see she was reliving the moments. The constant pauses and the pain that invaded her eyes worried him. She was not verbalizing everything, he didn't expect her to, but the intensity of emotion that exuded from her was overwhelming.

"Do you need a break?" He asked cautiously.

"No!" She snapped, her voice sharp.

"Okay," Derek responded shocked at her outburst. He threw his hands up in an act of surrender. "I'm sorry."

She slouched back into the chair and mouthed an apology.

He watched her carefully his gut telling him to step back, but he knew her insistence would continue until they were done. The revelation of the severity to her situation began to affect him. He tried to swallow the lump that began to close his throat.

He quickly moved onto his next question. "Did he speak to you?"

She glanced at him and slowly nodded. "He spoke as if he I needed a lecture on human behavior. How we all are the same in the end, I really wasn't listening to him." She said with a roll of her eyes. "I was trying to figure out how I would stop him."

"And you did." Derek reassured.

"I tried." She corrected him. "I only succeeded in stalling him, and that was when he changed his motivation again."

"What was that?"

"His delusion that he has a purpose, that his victims choose him." She paused and made real eye contact for the first time. "There have been others."

"How did you know?"

"His tattoos. When he had me-" she stopped and uncomfortably adjusted herself in the chair, "I saw them in detail. There are three skulls with a persons name in script below it. They circled his arm."

"Do you remember the names?"

"Yeah." Emily answered. Derek took a mental note as she recited them.

She stared blankly in front of her then her head bowed forward. "He said it was about me and-" Her voice suddenly trailed off and she became more distant.

"What was about you?" Morgan tried to encourage.

Panic flashed in her eyes before they sealed shut again. She was experiencing something horrible, and her hands began to tremble in her lap.

"Emily?" Derek leaned forward to console her, but the second his fingers brushed against her skin she jerked back violently. Her chair made a snapping noise as she leapt from it.

"We good?" She choked out.

In an instant Derek was on his feet at the ready to catch her. With the way she waivered he was afraid that she was going to collapse. She turned her back to him and held her arms tightly around her. He could see her chest heaving in short pants that slowly returned to a calmer rhythm.

"Are we good?" She asked again.

"Emily, talk to me." Derek begged.

"I'm fine." She replied curtly.

He stood in confusion, and when she turned to face him her expression was blank, and her eyes emotionless.

She let her arms drop and gestured towards the door. "Go ahead, I'll be right out."

He didn't move.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted, "I just need a minute."

Derek hesitated and stared at her. Her sudden unnerving calm worried him. She was once again a pillar of strength and an unflinching rock. She portrayed the agent that had not spent hours helpless at the hands of a sadist. The voice that told him to stay and make sure she was okay became louder, but he also feared she would just push away harder.

He wanted to tell her she didn't have to pretend to be pulled together. He was clearly aware she was fighting an intense internal battle to not come apart. She nodded again in a silent plea for him to give her space. He accepted it, but was ready to take vigil when she emerged.

He went to open the door pausing one last time before he turned the knob. He hoped she would change her stubborn stance and let him in. Her persistent silence was his answer and with great uncertainty left the room.

He pulled out his phone as he approached the curious agents. They all looked past him and to the brunette standing alone in the room. No one knew what the right thing to do was. There was no textbook answer. The last time they dealt with it was with Foyet. They all understood the risks the job entailed, but it was a whole new beast when their own was threatened.

Garcia's voice chimed in Derek's ear pulling him away from the people in front of him. "Oh my chocolate love how may I be of service?"

He would normally smile at her bright voice, but the seriousness pressed down on him. "I need you to get any video feed you can from the hospital's ER around the time we were there."

"Okay, what am I looking for?"

"Our UnSub. A white male 6'6'-6'8" coming in with an abdominal stab wound and a sleeve tattoo on his right arm."

"Weren't the hospitals supposed to report that?"

"Go with me here. I have a feeling." He said and rolled the palm of his hand over his head.

"Okay, I'll get back to you."

"Thanks." Derek hung up and adjusted his weight before he addressed the others.

"How is she?" JJ asked still staring past him.

"I don't know." Derek sighed but quickly changed the subject back to the facts. He knew she wouldn't want him divulging her near break. Accepting his answer they listened intently as he recounted the pertinent information he had received.

"He's very organized and detail oriented. He's also ready to adapt to situations. He told Prentiss that he changed his plan when he took her."

He moved closer to the board and his hand waved towards the pictures of the three victims. "We are looking at the victimology all wrong."

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked sitting up a little straighter.

"He told her it was about her." Derek answered.

"Ahh yes," Dave agreed at the sudden epiphany. "His intended victims are the ones he makes watch."

Dave gestured to the board and pushed himself from his chair. "We were looking at the victims that died and that's why we suspected Tanner."

"If that is the case this may just be the tip of the iceberg." Aaron added.

"What do you mean?" JJ inquired.

"At some point the fear and pain he physically caused people wasn't enough and the emotional torment became his ultimate goal."

"So what? Now Emily is his next victim?" JJ asked in a shocked revelation.

"Could be what he meant, by it being about her." Spencer answered bluntly.

"Kelly was to be the last victim for Tanner to witness. We interrupted him and now he has moved to a contingency plan."

"But why Emily?" JJ asked in confusion, "it doesn't make sense. He could have just left her like he had me, or killed her. Isn't it more of a risk to take her?"

"That's what we have to figure out." Hotch spoke up from behind Derek.

"He may not do anything," Reid countered. "He could just take the chance to run."

Rossi nodded at the young agent. "We have to consider all the possibilities."

"The tattoos are significant." Morgan added. "They are his trophies. There is a name with a cluster of three skulls that surround the lettering. I bet if we looked we would find similar murders."

Aaron agreed and redialed Penelope and spoke quickly, taking away her opportunity to give one of her inventive greetings. "Garcia, I need you to look into murders in the past ten years that involve three victims all COD's resulting from knife wounds."

"Yeah, that's not too vague," she replied sarcastically. "Can you give me something more?"

He reached out and grabbed a slip of paper that Derek handed him. "Look for ones associated with these names, Lawrence, Juliet, and Carl."

"The search is on. Oh and as we have been joyfully conversing I have found your guy. I'm sending the picture to your phones and tablets now."

"Thanks." Aaron said and brought his phone down to see the picture that came through just as he ended the call.

Derek reached down and picked up the tablet bringing it to life. He clicked on the message that popped up. There on the screen was a pixilated view of their man. He stared at the short sandy hair, dark eyes and square face. The anger began to bubble as he recognized the man.

"Damn!" He cursed. "He was right in front of me!"

"Are we sure its him?" Hotch questioned.

"Look at his arm, the tattoos." Derek pointed to the blurred image.

"They're pretty hard to make out. Let's get Emily back in here and she can confirm it." Rossi suggested.

Derek nodded and turned back to the room they had been in. He suddenly became concerned when he didn't see her. He jogged over to the open door and examined the empty office.

"Shit," he said under his breath and headed out the door to find her.

* * *

Emily forced another smile as Derek looked back one last time before releasing the door. She watched him intently as he pulled his phone out and made his way to the rest of the group. She had to give it a minute, just long enough for their stares to fade. It took everything she had to hold herself together and not tear through the door and run full speed out of the building. She knew she would have to release a bit of herself to catch this guy but wasn't ready for how raw the wounds still were.

With the other agents attentively listening to Garcia, Emily slipped out of the room and moved to the back door. When she felt the release of the barrier into the hallway she couldn't move fast enough down the corridor. The only sound around her was the echo of her boots clicking on the freshly buffed floor. She felt her hands clenched into tight fists. She ignored the throbbing the tense action causes her injured hand. She thought that if she had nails she was sure she'd draw blood. As the door neared she felt her escape and hopefully some clarity and balance. Why was she letting what happened get to her like it was? She had seen worse hadn't she? By now she would have it conveniently tucked in one of her many boxes, locked away and not to be released until she was alone to deal with them privately.

She knew Hotch would yank her from the case if he knew how much this guy was in her head. She hadn't even verbalized everything to Derek but the images and sounds that she experienced were clearly on the surface.

She pressed through the door and the sudden whoosh of cold air assaulted her face and broke her thoughts. The sun had begun its decent and left the sky in an array of purples and reds. She would normally take in its beauty, but all it told her was another day was wasted, and that man was still out there. As she moved she drew in deep greedy breathes from the biting chill that had replaced the warmth of the sun. Her eyes searched her surrounding but she wasn't sure for what. She kept her legs moving and found herself zigzagging through the cars. Each step that took her further away was a step closer to her cracking. She began to feel her knees become weak from the frenzy of overwhelming emotions and memories.

She suddenly sank in the narrow space between to large vehicles. Emily bent in two and crumpled to the ground. She covered her mouth to muffle the sobs that she could no longer hold back. She felt herself begin to hyperventilate as she choked on the tears.

_Get a grip Emily. _She criticized and felt shame flood through her for losing it._ You're a professional act like it._

She took in a few uneven breaths to get control of the trembling that wracked her body. She scolded herself again for crying and worse it was the second time in one day. She steered her mind to push the weakness to the back. Her hands slowly began to steady and almost under control. She began to unfold from the tight ball she had held herself in.

The light over her began to flicker to life as the sky darkened more. An engine fired up and she twirled in a start. She stopped to listen but her pulse beat too loudly and rapidly in her ears. She wiped her eyes before she rose. Her hand hovered over the empty space that should have held her glock. She had forgotten again. Her mind was so preoccupied with getting the interview over with.

She glanced back to the glass doors that glowed from the light within. She couldn't trust her own mind. She held her breath and listened again. Nothing. She regretted running and not telling anyone where she had gone. Then again she had no initial intentions to run. She spun around to return to the building.

She crossed back through the lot and stepped into the dark road that separated the building from the parked cars. She was halfway across when a pair of blinding headlights came rushing towards her.

* * *

_Don't worry I have the next chapter in the works so I hope to have the updates back on a consistent basis!_

_Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Much thanks to the continual love! Keep it coming! Here is a bit of our baddie. I wasn't going to write from his POV, because it creeps me out, but it just made sense to._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

He was normally a patient man. He planned every detail and was always prepared to make the necessary adjustments when unexpected events arose. His original plan had been foiled, but he found he was enjoying this new direction. He had to keep from rushing to accomplish his goal. Now more than ever he had to be careful. He wasn't dealing with the normally pathetic wastes of humans; he had met a true adversary.

This new unexpected endeavor had him giddy. Emily Prentiss was a true challenge unlike any he had ever encountered. He hadn't planned to take her, he would have been content to squeeze the life from her on the dark forest floor, but her fight and strong will intrigued him. He saw in her the ultimate spirit to crush. He knew that she would be his last and was okay with it. He'd reach his climax when he saw her fierce dark eyes break.

He would once again feel the power he felt the day it all began. Seventeen years old he stood in his triumph, watching as his drunken abusive stepfather took his own life. He had steered him to that point and it gave him the ultimate high.

He had watched his whole life as the man swallowed his cheap whiskey and used his mother as a punching bag. He would make attempts to turn his father's rage on him to spare another hospital visit for his mother. It worked half the time, but the man enjoyed the torment he caused his mother. It left her a shell of a person, finding solace at the bottom of her own bottle.

Then there stood his half brother, the pride in his father's eye, the town doctor and a man that could do no wrong. He knew the truth though. His brother gambled and cheated and was just as abusive to his own wife and daughter.

No one believed him when he tried to bring his brother's demons to light. He was considered a waste of space, scum and would amount to nothing. He'd hear how weak he was with each punch that rocked his head or blew the air from his lungs.

He showed _dad_ just how weak he was when he practiced his knife wielding skills and turned the olive skin of his prodigal brother and his precious family red. With each swipe of the blade he soaked in the pathetic pleas of the old man. It took everything in him not to end the man's life that night, but found the destroyed soul before him a more satisfying result. That night forged his purpose and the thirst to relive the feelings the act invoked. It became an all-consuming obsession; he would be that person showing people who they truly were.

Dressed in all black and clutching his newly purchased high powered binoculars he crouched behind the trees and high brush that stood on the outskirts of the FBI Field Office. He knew he was really pushing his luck getting this close. He had thought for sure the dark agent tagged him in the hospital, but when nothing came of it his confidence grew. He wasn't even sure what he would accomplish being there but when he saw the two women leave their hotel his urge to keep watch overwhelmed him. He also fought his temptation to go to her room and wait for her there, but he knew it was too soon. The hotel was not the right place and had too many intangibles. He wasn't fully prepared for her yet. He needed to keep planning.

In all that he had done the FBI had never been called in, and this more than excited him. All the previous cops and detectives followed his breadcrumbs and went for the easy and obvious answer. He had been found out and now a new game had begun. One he wasn't prepared to play but loved the challenge of.

A sudden reflection of light off the doors he had been staring at caught his attention. He pulled the binoculars to his eyes and there she was. His heart began to beat faster as he watched her move quickly through the maze of cars in his direction. He briefly thought he was compromised but thought better when she suddenly vanished from view. He panicked that he had lost sight of her and shuffled through the brush to reposition himself. His stiches stretched and sharp pain flashed up his torso. He paused to regain himself having forgotten his injury. It was another gift from her, another reason she was the pinnacle of all he would accomplish. He moved slowly along the brush not to make noise or too much movement. When she reappeared in his sights she was in a tight ball hidden between two cars. She was crying. She was really crying not the silent tears he had seen, but a true release of emotion. He felt a smile form on his face at what he was observing. He knew no one was allowed to see this collapse and being witness to it more than excited him.

Before he could fully absorb her agony she was poised again, the tears were wiped away and her pain was tucked back down. He was determined now more than ever to breach her walls. When he was done there would be nothing more than rubble to sift through.

* * *

Derek crashed through the doors phone in hand. "She's not answering and I can't find her anywhere!"

He stopped at the table and looked at the wide eyed agents in front of him. He ran his hand over his head; distress clearly marking his face.

"I shouldn't have left her alone."

"You have to calm down," JJ tried to reason. "She may just be in the restroom. I'll just go check."

"But she would have responded, I've been blowing up her phone." He said challenging the blonde.

JJ stood up to place herself eye level with the Morgan her voice clipped with the same irritated tone he held. "Maybe she needs some space from you and that's why she hasn't responded yet."

Derek was about to fire back when Rossi put his hand between them and attempted to pacify the agitated team. "Guys, we all need to calm down."

Morgan leaned his weight on the table for support and looked to the senior agent. "When Emily's in this room I'll calm down." He then waved his arm in the direction to the outside of the building. "That man is out there and she's not safe until he's caught."

Aaron looked from the stressed agents back to his phone. His thumb hovered over the send button ready to press it in his impatience for an answer. Just as he began to apply the pressure a call came through and he felt a wave of relief when Emily's name flashed in front of him.

"Prentiss?" He answered sternly to cover his concern.

"_I'm sorry sir_," she apologized on the other end, "_Kelly's husband showed up. She was asking for me, I had to go_."

"Are you at the hospital?"

"_Yeah_," Her voice drifted off.

"Are you okay?"

She answered quietly her voice saturated with pain, "_I didn't make it in time_."

"I'll be right there." He said already moving toward the door before he pulled the phone from his ear.

"Hotch?" JJ's questioning voice filled the background. He called back to let them know where he was going, but left it at that. He would fill them in when he actually saw that she was safe.

* * *

Emily leaned against the wall, the cold coffee clutched in her hands. She couldn't take her eyes from the now empty room. Tubes and wires that had run along the side of the bed now lay lifeless beside the machines. The steady noise that now surrounded her was the chatter of the nurses huddled at their station. They seemed less than concerned that a life was just lost. She really couldn't hold it against them. They saw death everyday and had to deal with it somehow. She was no different, but this felt like something else. She had seen so much, but there was no way for her to believe that Kelly's death wasn't her fault. This was one she'd want to bury deep into her subconscious memory but it wouldn't comply as easily as all the others.

A hand gently brushed her shoulder. Torn from her thoughts she turned sharply and fumbled with the Styrofoam cup. Its contents rolled upward and escaped the rim. The two instinctively moved back to avoid the splash and watched the liquid hit the ground and spray across their shoes.

"Whoa." Aaron said and his hand shot out to steady hers.

Emily gripped the cup and jerked back when she felt his touch and spoke quickly, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He said calmly and brought his hands back to show that he wasn't a threat.

In her over reaction she hadn't realized that her thumb had pierced through the flimsy material and more coffee leaked through the hole and ran down the side dripping onto the floor. Emily took in another steadying breath and looked down to the caramel color liquid splattered between them.

"I'll trade you." He offered.

Emily looked to him confused at the comment. She was about to speak up to ask his meaning when she saw what he held in his hand.

He had brought up her service weapon level and extended it to her. "I'm pretty sure you've been missing this."

She gave a forced smile and thanked him. He reached over and with fingertips around the rim he delicately took the cup from her hand. Simultaneously he released the weapon into her grasp. She tried to hide the grimace that formed from the pressure and pain that using her hand to replace it on her hip caused.

"Is your hand-" he started to ask but stopped himself when her eyes warned to not to ask.

She shook her head with a subtle sway and returned her attention to the room in front of them. She knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do for her actions. She had no clue what Morgan had told the others. Whether or not he had said anything she was acutely aware that her behavior was not normal and obviously raised concern. It was understandable maybe for the circumstances, but for her it was not. She had no doubt that she was now under more scrutiny of their already watchful eyes.

"Prentiss."

The way he said her name was a warning of what was to come. She felt his demeanor change again and he stood up straighter. She turned her body to face him and braced herself for what he was about to say.

"With all that is going on you can't just go off without telling someone." He kept his tone even but his words were precise. "I won't hesitate to take you off the case if you pull something like that again."

She had not expected anything less. All she could do was nod and apologize. She was just glad he hadn't yanked her. She knew if he had seen how she had lost it earlier there was no doubt she'd be on a plane back to DC.

Satisfied he got his point across he took a few steps past her and disposed of the coffee into the waste bin feet from them. Emily watched him and wondered why she had not just tossed the coffee herself. She hadn't been able to allow any of the bitter drink to cross her tongue let alone bring herself to raise the cup to her lips. Her stomach was in her throat the minute they exited the elevator and were stopped at the door by the doctor. She had accepted the simple gesture from Kelly's husband. He was so distraught that fetching coffee kept him occupied and distracted from the reality that he had just lost his wife.

She scooted around the spill and leaned back against the wall. When Aaron returned he stood to the side of her and his eyes went to what captivated her, but said nothing.

After a few minutes of pensive silence she spoke up. "He was here the whole time." She tilted her head towards Aaron. "He's always going to be in the shadows isn't he?"

Aaron's eyebrows furrowed with confusion to her question. "What do you mean?"

Emily then pulled her phone and faced it to him. The picture Penelope had sent on the small screen.

"So that is him?" He asked.

"It is." She answered coolly and replaced the phone in her pocket.

Aaron sighed and his voice became rigid, "I don't want you or anyone going anywhere alone."

"So, you coming here broke your own rule." She half smiled and let her head turn back to the room.

"I guess so," he chuckled allowing a small smile to form as well.

Emily's smile faded and she looked down before wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "Her husband should have been with her, not escorting me."

"You can't blame yourself with everything that goes wrong."

She turned her attention back to him. "I understand that, but why does it feel like it all is?" Her eyes begged him for an unrealistic answer. "Why couldn't I have done something more?"

Aaron's expression softened and he tried to find the right words to comfort her. "You did everything that you could. Believe it or not you're only human."

Emily nodded and released a slightly amused sigh at his last comment.

"It just doesn't seem fair." She responded quietly.

"Prentiss," he began carefully, "I know you don't want to hear this, but if you need some time it's understandable."

She knew it would be said at some point. Whether it was the boss in him keeping control of the case and his agents safe or the friend concerned about the effects the traumatic events had created. Either way she didn't have to verbally answer. He knew what she would say. She saved her energy not to protest. One look was all she had to give for him to understand she was not going anywhere. He knew all too well what it felt like to be the center of the chaos, and there was no way he'd back down. After seeing the effects of the death on Kelly's husband she vowed she would not allow herself to break down anymore. She taped up her cracks that had formed in a makeshift attempt to be the agent she once was.

She kept her arms tight around her and allowed her weight to be held up by the wall. "I don't understand how no one caught sight of him and reported it. He's not easily missed, and clearly not hiding."

Hotch tried to explain, "the ER was packed and dealing with a gang fight. He was lumped in with them, and he checked out AMA after they stitched him up."

"Oh, so I didn't really do any damage then?" She shrugged with raw disappointment with each word.

"His narcissism and ego will be his undoing." Aaron responded confidently.

"Yeah." She was unconvinced. The doubt lingered, and it would remain until he was caught.

"JayJe has is face all over by now. Let's get back and put our energy in stopping him."

Emily pushed off the wall and cleared her throat, "okay, but first I'm going to meet with Kelly's doctor. I want to ask him a few questions."

"Sure." Aaron nodded and moved to the side so she could head towards the nurses station.

* * *

He finished tracing his pen around the unlined paper and then carefully folded and placed it in an envelope. As he licked the edges to seal it he intently watched the news that played on the small screen in the corner of the makeshift office. He very much liked the name given to him. Never before was he called out. It was a matter of time he guessed. If they only knew how many people had taken the fall for his deeds, but then again that was his original goal. Now he would be recognized for something greater.

Satisfied with the position of the envelope he scratched the ballpoint pen across the front addressing it. He moved out of the back office and in a deep voice called over to a young man dressed in light blue scrubs that sat monitoring the computer in front of him.

"Doctor?" The tech responded tilting his head in the direction of his voice.

In two steps he was beside the desk and held out his gift. "There is an Agent Prentiss scheduled to meet with me. I've been paged and won't be able to speak with her. Please make sure she gets this, it was a request from the patient."

"Okay?" The young man acknowledged in slight confusion, but took the envelope and turned away. He set it next to the computer and his attention went back to the beeping screen.

As he watched he couldn't help but smile at how easy all of it was. All these nurses and techs were busy doing their jobs and not even aware of the breaking news, or of his threatening presence. They would be soon enough. Emily would receive this most important note within the hour. He wished he could get a glimpse of her face when she opened it. He knew better, they would have the building shut down within minutes of her opening it. He had to be out. He moved around to step into the hallway and saw the back of her boss and there she was pressed tightly against the wall. She was so close, but he couldn't, he reminded himself. He hunched down to make himself smaller and in a few large strides he was to the stairwell. He pressed through the door and chuckled at how easily he slipped back into the shadows. The next time he would emerge it would be to claim his prize.

* * *

_Not a typical cliffhanger sorry! I'll try better next time. ;)_

_Thank you for reading!_

_Please don't forget to comment or review it means a lot to hear what you think of the story!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you for reading and reviewing! I forgot to say that this story takes place after Foyet towards the end of season 5._

_Hold on and happy reading!_

* * *

Emily drummed her fingers on the cream color counter that created the barrier between her and the nurses. She tried not to let her impatience over run her. She knew they were trying to help her the best they could.

As she waited she found her attention drawn to a young man in light blue scrubs that sat straight backed staring at a computer screen. She became curious to what he was so focused on and watched his movements closely.

He began to shift his weight uncomfortably from her stare and turned to face her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm actually being helped but thank you." She said with a sincere smile.

"Mmhmm." He responded and turned his attention back to the screen.

Her eyes casually dropped to his surrounding workspace. It was minimal in its set up, but precise and orderly. A single pen and clipboard sat neatly next to a hospital logoed mouse pad. She began to look away when she noticed a white envelope that seemed out of place. It looked as if it was tossed and landed where it may. As she looked closer the combination of letters looked familiar. She stood up straighter and leaned over the counter to read the name scribed across it.

The tech caught her movements and was looking back at her again. "Is something wrong?"

Her heartbeat began to pick up in pace, and she forced her voice to be controlled as she pointed to the article in question. "Does it say Emily Prentiss on that envelope?"

He looked down and lifted the thin paper. "Oh yeah, right." He read the name aloud, "Emily Prentiss." He set it back down and looked up to the brunette. "Yes ma'am, that is what it says."

"That's me." She said annoyed at his sarcastic tone. It was only minutes earlier she had repeated her name countless times to the nurse.

"Well then here you go," he mumbled and handed it to her.

Emily looked at the handwriting, but there was nothing recognizable about it. She quickly had it flipped over and was breaking the seal to tear it open. An unlined paper revealed itself. She tossed the empty shell onto the counter, and hastily unfolded the note. She felt a rush of panic wash over her when the all too familiar drawing faced her.

"Hotch!" she called out, but he didn't respond as her volume failed when his name caught in her throat.

She swallowed and called to him again. He instantly spun around and was hanging up from his call when he heard the stress in her voice.

Before she could say another word he was over her. "What's wrong?"

She held up the paper to show him the rough ink drawing. It was an eerily precise replica of the tattoos that twisted around their Unsub's skin. The same ones that that invade her nightmares, she saw them the instant before the blade was forced into her hand and blood filled her vision. The only difference in the drawing was that under the trio of three menacing looking skulls was her name in perfect script. Scribbled more carelessly below were a few simple words that stop her heart. _Who shall your three be?_

Emily turned to the tech that now was only pretending to care about his screen. His attention was to the two agents hovering over the envelope he had given them.

"Where did you get this?" Emily demanded.

He cringed at her and stuttered a response, "uh, a doctor."

"A doctor! What doctor?" Emily half yelled. Her patience had vanished completely and her entire being reflected it.

"The one you were scheduled to see. He was paged and asked that you got it before he left."

Emily whipped out her phone and faced the screen towards the guy. "Is this the _doctor_?"

"Yup," he said with a knowing grin but it vanished when his eyes met the fierceness of Emily's glare.

She then leaned onto the counter closing the gap to the young man. "You haven't seen the news or reports about being on the lookout for this particular man?"

"No ma'am I've been doing my job." He then pointed to the monitor in front of him. "This is the only screen I watch for the last eight hours. He did look familiar but I just assumed he was a doc. This is a learning hospital so they come and go before you get to know any of them."

"How long ago did he give that to you?" Hotch asked cutting into the tension.

"Uh, maybe ten minutes ago."

"He could still be here," Emily said with urgency and pushed off to head down the hall. Aaron's hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her.

"He's gone. He's not going to hang around."

"How do you know? He obviously has the balls to hang around in the ER earlier with it crawling with Feds, and now here with both of us down the hall."

Aaron shook his head. "He knows he is more easily recognized now. If we had spotted him there is no way he would have made it out of the building and he knows it." Aaron lifted the unfolded drawing and faced it to Emily. "He took the chance because he wants us to think he's in control."

"So he's taunting us, and risking being caught. Why now after all these years of staying hidden take that risk?"

"Because he's at his end game."

She exhaled an exasperated sigh clearly not happy, but found that there was no point in arguing.

Hotch directed himself and his badge to the nurse that tried to quietly slide around the counter. "Can you please call the head of security up her immediately."

She looked from the badge to him and nodded, "Yes of course. Is everything okay?"

"Could you just do it?" Emily pushed.

Aaron felt the urgency and knew there was an faster route. He pulled his phone and had Garcia on the line before Emily could ask.

"Garcia, I need you to look at the hospital security tapes from the last hour. Look for our guy."

He was silent for a moment as he listened then his hand came up and pointed to the nurse. "Never mind."

He began to walk away with an anxious and curious Prentiss on his heels. He paused at the elevator to fill her in. "Garcia has him on camera. It shows him leaving the building with the time marker of twenty minutes ago."

* * *

Derek was motioning to Hotch and Emily as they came through the door. "Garcia found something."

They picked up their pace to join the others around the opened laptop on the table. Emily purposefully moved to stand next to Derek. Her hand gently grazed his arm. When he looked to her she made a silent apology. Derek accepted with a smile and both redirected their attention to the technical analyst who began to speak fast in her excitement to reveal what she discovered.

"I found him, I mean I really found him. I looked at similar crimes with the names you gave me, and oh man is he good. Of course by good I mean really bad."

She set her pen down to prepare for the information she was about to reveal.

"Name number one, Carl Holmes, was charged with three counts of murder. He denies it was him and swears a man fitting the exact description of our guy did it. Yet, all of the evidence points to Carl. It's a similar story with the other two names, except in Lawrence's case he killed himself before he was arrested."

"What's his name Garcia?"

"Thomas Reyes, born and raised in McFarland, CA." She paused and shrugged, "and that's it."

"What do you mean that's it?"

"He vanished off the grid after he turned eighteen. But you know what's interesting? Guess what happened to his abusive step father?"

"Reyes used him for carving practice?" JJ threw out there.

"No my love, he killed himself after he was brought up on charges for murdering his son and his son's family."

"Let me guess, he blamed it on Thomas." Morgan sighed.

"You got it, but apparently our little charmer was quite the planner back then as well."

Dave looked from the computer to the pondering faces of the others. "Well, we know where he got his start, so where does that leave us now?"

"We know his target." Spencer said and looked to Emily. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she responded and shot him a thin smile. "He's over confident because he has been right in front of us this whole time."

"His bubble is about to get smaller." Morgan encouraged.

"And so has ours." Hotch pointed out.

"Meaning what?" JJ asked looking from the Unit Chief to the other agents.

"I'm not the only target," Emily said rubbing the base of her neck. "He's going to go after people I care about."

"He has no problem adapting if he can achieve his ultimate goal. That's why he has gotten away with it for so long." Spencer added. "He'd set up his murders so his intended victims take the fall, and he walks away onto his next one. With the FBI being called in his ego and narcissism is getting the better of him."

"He wants to go out with his name in lights." Rossi agreed.

"He has another thing coming." Morgan vowed.

JJ set down the file she had been mindlessly flipping through. "So how do we draw him out? I doubt he will as bold as he has been the last few days."

"I could-" Emily offered quickly but Derek's fisted hand coming down hard on the table startled her and she abruptly stopped.

"There is no way!"

Emily glared at him for his response, and was about to react when Aaron's interference put an end to any debate. "Morgan's right. Using any one as a pawn is too risky and he's too smart. He would know that we would not allow anyone to go anywhere alone."

With those words the room became silent. They were at a standstill, unsure how they would get ahead of Reyes. They spent three mores hours of fruitless spit balling and rereading the case files Garcia had sent over. They rehashed every detail, but came up with nothing.

Finally at his end Dave leaned forward to pick up his cup and sighed at the empty contents. He pushed back his chair and rose.

"Coffee?" He asked looking around to the worn agents.

He received several groggy acceptances and took note as he rounded up their mugs. He looked back to Hotch who was pacing, his phone tight to his ear. Rossi noted that he had been on the call the last forty-five minutes. It was obvious by his tight expression that it was not going in Aaron's favor. Dave decided he'd take advantage of the coffee break to inquire about it.

Rossi approached with a wide berth so the Unit Chief saw him coming. Hotch nodded to him as he ended the phone call with a sigh.

"Let me guess, Strauss."

Aaron shook his head and the corner of his lip curled in a half smile half grimace. "Yes."

"When do we leave?"

"How did you- " Aaron stopped not surprised at Dave's intuition. He crossed his arms before he disclosed the context of the conversation. "She's sending another team. She won't accept any reason for us to work it, especially now that everyone's lives are in jeopardy."

"That's not surprising, but does she understand that Reyes isn't likely to just leave it alone?"

"What do you think? Unfortunately at this point orders are orders." He hesitated and looked to the brunette who was blankly staring at the open file on the table in front of her.

"This is going to be a tough sell," he sighed and took steps towards the team.

* * *

"What? There is no way!" Emily shouted and shot up. The sudden movement caused her to become light headed and she had to lean against the table for support. JJ's arms went to help steady her and she swatted them away causing JJ to recoil in shock. Emily ignored her reaction and turned her steely glare back to Hotch.

"This is bullshit and you know it!"

Aaron tried to keep a calming demeanor. He had anticipated the angered response but not the effect her reaction would have on him. "I understand the frustration but Strauss feels the risk is too high." He could see the wall that rose with her anger but continued to try and be a voice of reason. "We will consult with the team from Quantico."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest that heaved with her infuriation. "Its not like he's going to just stick around here."

"That might just be what we need." Spencer offered and cleared his throat to clarify, "it's 2,441 miles to DC from here. If he does follow you, there is a higher chance he will make a mistake that leads us to him."

She kept her eyes locked with Aaron's and kept her voice low but jagged. "Or he lays low until the news gets bored, the check points are taken down, and the _new_ team has exhausted themselves and has to return. He has no problem getting to where he wants. The guy has been a ghost for almost fifteen years. Why would that change?"

"It wouldn't," Rossi agreed receiving a glare from Aaron. He shrugged at him, "she's right."

Hotch stepped closer to the table to put an end to the discussion. "We have no choice. The replacement team is on a plane as we speak. I want everyone to go to the hotel and get some rest. Meet back here at 06:00. We will brief them and then head straight to the airport."

He received a few grumbles but the team grudgingly began to pack up.

He moved around to the now silent Prentiss. "A word?"

She didn't look up and with an irritated sigh tossed the few files she had picked up back to the hard surface. She swiftly moved away from the others, and he followed her into the office before he shut the door slightly.

"Look Prentiss, I get it, and I don't like it either."

"It's a mistake sir," she said in a controlled tone, "I don't see how anything productive will come from us leaving. It just gives him more power."

"We have no choice. I tried but my hands are tied at the moment."

She squinted at him as if she was truly confused at what he had just said. "Maybe you just need to fight a little harder to untie them. _Sir_."

"Prentiss," he warned, "we're leaving. Go pack up."

She began to open her mouth and he raised his hand to stop her. "That's an order."

She didn't move at first the anger consuming her. She looked away and bowed out of the room with as polite a nod as she could muster. She quietly returned to her task ignoring the looks of the others. It was obvious they were trying to make out what was going on behind the door. She didn't give anyone the satisfaction of a response.

Aaron really didn't expect anything less from her. As much as he wanted to catch Reyes he wanted everyone safe, and Emily was skating a thin line. He didn't want to admit he'd feel better about working the case 2,000 miles away.

* * *

Emily wondered if she would ever sleep again. When it did come it was restless. The continual nightmares felt real and each jolted her awake and created churning thoughts of mounting dread. She stared to the dark ceiling and listened to the silent breathing from the bed next to her.

She didn't know how to release the hold he had on her. His confidence was unnerving. She couldn't shake the reality that everyone she cared about was in danger.

She looked briefly to the red numbers on the clock. 4:45. She then rolled her body to the side and stared at the rhythmic blinking of the colon between the numbers. When the minute changed for the second time she decided to get up and shower. There was no more tears, she was more angry than upset now anyway. She wanted to continue to scream her aversion to the turn of events if it would do any good, but knew it wouldn't.

JJ had followed closely behind Emily after she had emerged from the bathroom. Their greeting was a silent one. Emily had not talked to anyone after her outburst at the office, and everyone was giving her space. The exhaustion and emotional rollercoaster of the days had taken their tolls. It was almost worse that they slept for the few hours, their tolerance levels even lower.

A gentle knock on the door paused their packing and Emily gestured to JJ to stay where she was. She stared at the wooden barrier and her hand instinctively went to her hip and lingered over her gun. She kept her palm resting on the butt of the weapon and approached the door. She paused before she looked through the tiny peephole. She wasn't surprised to see Derek standing patiently on the other side. She let out a breath as she unlatched the chain and released the deadbolts. She continued to prepare herself by smoothing her shirt and straightening her back before she turned the knob to open the door.

"Morning," she greeted somberly.

"Good morning." He said with a little more sincerity.

She gave a tight smile and cocked her head to the side waiting for him to reveal his purpose for the early visit.

He could still see that she was holding onto the anger she had about the team being pulled from the case. She had swallowed her protest and knew how to take orders, but he knew her fight to stay on top of the case had only begun.

"Are we late?" She asked with a hint of impatience.

"No, I just wanted to see if you two needed help carrying your bags down."

"Really?" Emily said suspiciously.

"Really," he insisted.

Emily left the door open and turned back into the room. "We're almost done if you want to wait."

Derek nodded and let the door gently shut behind him. The lamp from the side table was the only light and created long shadows that danced off the walls as the two women finished packing and zipping up their bags. Before they had a chance to link their hands through the handles Morgan moved forward and swooped them up. Derek simply turning his back and heading to the door silenced their protests.

The brief elevator ride to the lobby was silent but the tension was palatable. When the doors opened the three didn't hesitate to escape from the suffocating box.

Emily hung back slightly to create some needed space. She noted a few early risers fluttered around the lounge area with their coffees, enjoying the quiet morning. The calm start of the day did nothing for the rest of the team that stood by the large glass doors in forced patience. As the three approached Rossi pushed open the doors and Reid moved through as fast as his crutches would allow.

Hotch stepped up and replaced Dave holding the door. Before Emily passed through the opening his hand brushed her arm. She paused and looked back in confusion.

"Prentiss, ride with me?"

Her eyes darted to the curious ones ahead of her and then shifted back to the Unit Chief. She sighed and nodded her response. She really didn't have a choice, he asked to be polite but it was an order.

The sky was beginning to lighten but the stars shown brightly above them. The sliver of the moon held its spot fighting its last hold on the night. The weary agents approached their respective vehicles in the almost vacant lot.

Before she climbed in JJ called out to Emily who was settling into the passenger seat, her door still open. "You two could stop for some coffee," she hinted, "we might as well have a decent cup and not that sludge they pass off as anything consumable at the office."

Emily nodded and watched a somewhat satisfied JJ get into the back seat in the Denali across from her. With all the others piled in and only her and Hotch in theirs she felt a little like being sent to the principal's. She shook it off knowing she was being ridiculous. He obviously needed to see where her head was.

They had not made it out of the parking lot before he jumped right into the reason he wanted to speak to her alone. "You understand where Strauss is coming from, right?"

Emily drew in a breath and released it slowly before she answered. "Of course I do. The last thing I want is to make the target everyone has on their backs bigger, but I know he's not just going to let it go."

"I agree." He looked over and made sure they made contact. "I do, but some things are out of our control."

Emily just shrugged and looked away. No words were really going to change how she felt about the situation. She would be a team player because she had to but there was no way she was just going to sit back and do nothing.

"I know where you're at." His words grabbing her attention.

"Yeah?" She asked wanting him to explain, but didn't have to guess. He had been in this position and it wasn't that long ago. When all their concerns and efforts were for him and to protect his family. Some events leave their marks and this was going to be one of those for her.

She slowly turned her head to him but said nothing allowing him to get his point across.

"The fact that he's taunting you at every turn, and he's hiding right under you nose but you can't seem to grab a hold of him."

He glanced her way and content that he had her focus Aaron adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. "He can make you feel like everything is your fault, but you have to understand that it's not. He's the monster not you, and we will stop him."

"Yeah, but-" she stopped her protest mid sentence realizing there was nothing to argue about. He was right, it still sucked, but he was right.

"I'm going to do everything I can to keep us consulting on the case but you have to be able to keep your head."

"I can." She assured. The last thing she planned was to lose her cool at any point. From how she handled herself the last few days she was going to have to work overtime to accomplish that goal.

Satisfied he turned his head and let the window lower as he pulled through the narrow drive of the coffee shop.

Looking to the vast menu he turned back confused, "do you know what everyone likes?"

Emily shook her head. "Does it really matter? I'm sure that six mega large black coffees with a few extra shots will be sufficient. Just get a lot of cream and sweetener on the side, everyone can make it up how they want it."

Aaron agreed and leaned his arm on the door and was instantly greeted with an almost too cheery barista. Emily rolled her eyes at his bubbly voice as he repeated the order.

As they sat Emily looked blankly ahead in a whirlwind of thoughts. She barely noticed that the sky began to break in half from the sun making itself known. A gentle breeze lifted the thin tree branches and caused them to tap rhythmically on the side windows. The sound almost calmed her shredded nerves.

She was jerked from her daydream when the all too jubilant voice was no longer coming through a microphone but in person. She had not realized Aaron had already pulled forward. She looked over and was greeted with a wide toothy smile beaming across from the drive up window. She forced a fake smile and quickly looked away again.

As he took Hotch's card he continued his rambles about a multitude of subjects, but what got their attention was when he jumped back in his own excitement. "I almost forgot. Scones!"

"I'm sorry, scones?" Aaron asked.

"Yes! Scones! Crazy fresh too." He began to count on his fingers as he recited the flavors they had. "We have blueberry, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, and the ultimate, pumpkin."

He quickly threw his hands out the small window towards them. "No pressure, but they are amazing! Your day can only get better after you bite into one! I can just add it onto your order."

Aaron's smile grew and he casually turned to face Emily, "Scone?"

Emily mimicked the smile the best she could and exaggerated her answer, "sure."

The sandy blonde teen bounced away to fill the orders and the small window shut.

"Sounds like someone already needs to switch to de-caf." Emily said with a half-hearted chuckle.

"Let's be nice." Aaron teased and smiled when he was rewarded with a small but genuine one from the brunette.

In no time the large brown bags filled with their morning treats were passed to Emily and she took in the sweet smelling pastries as she nestled them between her feet. She took the coffees from Hotch as he received them from their overly enthusiastic friend. Aaron thanked him and seeing they had everything put the gearshift back to drive.

Before they could pull away the cab was filled with the young mans voice again, "you two enjoy the day! It's going to be absolutely beautiful."

"Wow." Emily mouthed in awe to what they just witnessed, but couldn't help but smile to herself. The boy's light was reminiscent of Penelope's and was something she was missing. She busied herself with straightening the cups in the carrier so they were secure.

Aaron pulled onto the empty road and glanced briefly to the time on the dash, "that took a little longer than I thought, but we should still make it before Hedrick's team arrives."

Suddenly everything came rushing back and Emily fell silent. Her stomach tensed again at the thought of them not being the ones going after Reyes and him still roaming free.

"You okay?" Aaron asked tentatively aware of her the change in her.

She didn't answer but smiled slightly lifting a cup. "You want yours now?"

He opened his mouth to answer when a blast echoed around them and the vehicle tugged in response to the loss of the front tire. In the same instant the rear blew. Control was lost and all Aaron could do was try and ease them to a stop. The SUV had barely slowed before the driver's side door was pried open. All Emily could see was a blur of movement and heard the sound of a solid object hitting flesh. She released a gasp when Aaron's unconscious body vanished from sight as it was carelessly yanked from his seat. He was replaced by the enormous shadow of Thomas Reyes.

Emily's injured hand fumbled at her hip in an attempt to remove and get control of her weapon. He instantly leapt the seat towards her like a beast pouncing on its prey. His body smashed through the flimsy cardboard holder sending the scalding coffee flying. Emily cried out as the burning liquid soaked through the thin material and burned her skin. There was no more time to react and the fiery rage that filled his eyes was the last thing she saw before their violent collision sent her into darkness.

* * *

_Yup, the evil cliffy is back. ;) _

_Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Words cannot express how much I appreciate the response for the story. It really pushes me! _

_It's about to get nuts (again) so hold on. Hope you enjoy!_

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

JJ stood rooted to her spot overwhelmed with shock to what she was seeing. The scene in front of her had stolen the air from her lungs the second she spotted the deserted vehicle a block away. She had been holding it from the instant they heard the details from the reporting officer. She didn't want to believe what had happened and prayed she would be able to release a sigh of relief that Hotch and Emily were there, but deep down she knew better. Now she had to constantly remind herself to breathe, and it took all her strength not to break down. There were too many eyes on them; the last thing was to show the cracks this heart-stopping event was really causing.

Her stomach twisted in knots as she stared at the passenger door that hung slightly ajar. The concaved safety glass splintered outward like a spider's web. She couldn't look away from the smear of blood and the few strands of raven hair intertwined in the broken pieces. She flinched when the thought of how Emily's head had connected with the window.

The crackle of boots to glass snapped her back to reality. She looked up to the flashing lights of the surrounding vehicles and the police line already established. She really couldn't comprehend how this happened. They were just stopping to get coffee and were only five minutes behind them. She took in the broken team that stood at different points of the now vacant SUV. They were all holding in exactly what she was feeling and trying to grasp a thread of calm in the newly stirred chaos.

"You alright?" Spencer asked from her side. She jumped in a start not realizing he had come up next to her. She took in more air and eyed him as he leaned awkwardly on his crutches.

"Are you?" She asked suspiciously. When he drew back slightly she immediately regretted her jagged tone. She knew she wasn't being fair, he was only asking out of concern, but her emotions had begun to get the best of her.

She didn't wait for an answer and looked to her feet. "We had barely said three words to each other and I was the one to suggest they stop and get coffee."

"Don't do that Jayje." Derek gently warned joining them and creating a small circle of bodies. "We could all blame ourselves somehow. The only person to put this on is Reyes, and we have to stay focused."

"I know," she whispered her eyes rising and lingering on the pooling coffee and empty cups scattered on the seats and floorboard. The torn brown bags and variety of crumbled breakfast pastries lay soaking up the dark liquid.

"Guys!" Rossi's gruff voice brought them back to the urgency of the situation, and their heads snapped in his direction. His hands lay firmly on the hood, his eyes stern and commanding. "Let's do this."

Derek turned from JJ and Spencer. He maneuvered himself back around to the driver's side. He then widened his stance and looked around to the agents before he began by gesturing behind him.

"It had to be a blitz. There is no way Reyes would be able to overtake the two of them so easily."

"So how do you see it?" Rossi asked.

With everyone intently listening Derek moved as he imagined Thomas Reyes would.

"He used this homemade barbed wire to blow out the tires." He said pointing to the spiked metal wrapped up with the mangled rubber. He then immediately directed them to the driver side. "He had Hotch's door open before he could react. Rendered him unconscious, then moved to Prentiss."

Spencer pointed to the Glock half submerged in coffee. "Emily had her gun unholstered but his impact must have dislodged it." His hand moved up and stopped at the cracked glass. "Her head smashing into the window most likely knocked her out. It wouldn't take much with the concussion she already had."

JJ looked around to the businesses and the now the growing crowd of onlookers. "How is it that no one heard or saw anything?"

Rossi dusted off his hands and pointed to the building on the corner of the street. "The only business open at the time was the coffee shop and the employees were too busy watching YouTube videos to notice anything."

"We're losing time, aren't we?" JJ asked softly looking to the distant buildings of the city and then to the thicker cluster of trees behind them.

Spencer nodded slowly, "we need to get back and look at the old cases again and any new ones that Garcia may have found."

"We've been through those kid," Morgan replied incredulously. "He's adapted again. How are they going to do us any good?"

"Because no matter how much he changes his method, there is a thread of commonality to all of them."

JJ looked to her feet again and shook her head in frustration before she returned her gaze to Reid. "We know the commonality. What we need is to figure out where he's taken them."

"I know, but there is something deeper that we're missing," Spencer said shaking his head, "it's in the first murder."

"Then let's stop standing around here." Rossi said thickly.

* * *

The jerking and bouncing of her body brought Emily's mind to the present. The background headache she had when she woke up that morning was nothing to the raging pound that drummed against her skull. Her ears rung in pain from a loud and violent flapping sound that reverberated overhead. She was hesitant to find out where she was, and why she was moving. She had no memory to how she got in what ever she was riding in. Carefully she opened her eyes and tried in vain to focus. She blinked several times and panicked that her eyes only made out indistinct forms in shades of blue. The shavings of rust and small pebbles in front of her face jumped with each jolt. She tried to focus and stared at the metal wall inches from her and her first realization hit her. She was in the bed of a truck, one with horrible suspension that tortured her already fragile head.

She moved her eyes upward and saw a blue tarp lift with the air that caught beneath it. The material fought its ties to allow the wind to grasp it and carry it away. The sun coming through and tainting everything around helped ease the worry that her eyes sight was affected. She closed her eyes again when her stomach flipped from the movement. She tried to hold back its revolt, but quickly found herself heaving. When her convulsions ceased she tipped back over to settle on her back. She made another attempt to figure out her situation, but her mind couldn't think past the pain. She had no clue how long she had been unconscious or how far she had traveled. She allowed her heavy head to loll to the side and a large blurred object across from her moved. She suddenly realized it was a person. Who was it? She tried to reach out, to speak, or simply focus but her head was weighed down and the darkness once again threatened. Her body and mind didn't want to continue to suffer and shut back down.

* * *

Morgan paced small circles and released constant sighs of frustration. He had spent the last twenty minutes just trying to calm Penelope down. He somehow ended up promising that he would stop the bastard in time and that Hotch and Emily would be okay. He had to deliver each word carefully so she wouldn't see through the thin veil of confidence. Each minute that ticked by was another the sadistic psychopath had his friends at his mercy, and they were no closer to figuring out where he had taken them.

His mind swirled with worry as scenarios played out. Even if they made it to wherever they were taken their injuries may be too severe to fight back. He couldn't imagine either of them not fighting back, but the reality of it was unnerving. Reyes had managed to get control of both of them. Overpowering Hotch was a feat in itself, and even Emily injured would be able to do damage. The worst scenes filtered to the top of his mind and he shuddered at the visuals.

Suddenly being in his own head only made his panic worse. He stopped and faced the others. "Where's Hedrick's team? I thought they were suppose to be here already."

JJ's head shot up and then looked to her watch. "The weather was too severe and they were grounded in the Midwest. They might not make it until tonight. We're on our own until then."

"The one time we actually want the help." He grumbled. "So what are we doing? Someone tell me something that I haven't heard already."

Spencer blinked thoughtfully and chewed on his bottom lip but no words came from the genius. The same empty silence revolved around the room.

"Great! This is just great!"

Derek threw his arms up in pure frustration and returned to his pacing. This time he remained in front of the board. His eyes stuck on the two printed pictures of Aaron and Emily. They hung in the spot reserved for the victims. Victim, a word he never wanted associated with anyone as close as they were to him. He had to focus and turn his thoughts to how to find his friends, but couldn't shake how daunting the task felt.

* * *

When Emily's eyes finally fluttered open her blurred surroundings had once again changed. Her nose filled with a jumbled mixture of scents, burnt fabric, scorched wood and melted plastic. At first all she could see was the bits of sunlight that danced off the dust particles floating above her head. She stared blankly past them to the opening of the partial missing roof. Her eyes still refused to focus clearly. The beams and treetops towering outside blended together and appeared as nothing more than shapes and shadows. She tried to turn herself when she heard a familiar voice, but her body was too weak and heavy. Her head continued to ring in massive throbs of pain. His voice floated around her and she knew he was speaking to her, but his words were nothing more than echoes and vibrations. The only thing she made out was her name. She managed to roll her head and stared in the direction of his eyes, but felt herself begin to drift away again. Her name lingered in the air, and a last thought repeated in her mind as she fell away. _This can't be good, he said Emily._

* * *

David Rossi looked to his watch and blew out a breath. "He's had them for three hours. The roadblocks and checkpoints have yielded nothing. Can we assume he stayed close?"

Derek held up the taunting note Reyes left at the hospital and waved in front of him. "If his intentions are to kill three people Emily cares about, I don't see why he would take them far."

"Do we really see him taking the risk?" JJ asked.

Morgan crossed his arms and looked to the board. "Right now we can't under estimate him at all."

"I would also assume that his time frame of two days no longer applies," Rossi sighed. "He knows he's not dealing with his typical targets and aware we're closing in."

"But if he knows we're so close why do it? And why Emily and Hotch?" JJ asked bewildered. She ran her hand through her hair and looked to the curious faces around her. "I mean if we look at all of the cases we now see clearly that the victims all had a significant event that drew Reyes in. He then used that as his smokescreen for them to become the prime suspects, and he slipped away."

"Okay," Morgan encouraged.

"He had no clue who Emily was until the other night."

Rossi looked at the blonde and rubbed his hand over his goatee in contemplation. "He's about power and control. He was losing it and maybe saw that taking her was a way to gain it back."

"Rossi's right." Spencer agreed. "We've interrupted him twice now, and he can't stop until he's accomplished his goal. He obviously had been stalking Emily and the team. He saw an opportunity." He then pressed his hands on the armrests of the chair and pushed upward to sit up straighter. He swallowed quickly before he made his point. "It could have been any of us. To him it doesn't matter who he has, his intentions are to watch Emily unravel by killing Hotch in front of her."

The words were honest and brutal creating an unnerving silence that swept through the agents. They knew Reyes intentions but no one had said it out loud, and it became more of a reality. The gradually tick of the seconds became louder and panic enducing.

* * *

A cool trickle of water running across her lips brought Emily back. She found herself craving it, and when it was taken away she opened her eyes to see where it had come from. She squinted at the glare and it put the figure in front of her in a solid silhouette. It didn't take long to figure out whom it was. Reyes sat crouched with a water bottle in one hand, gun clutched in the other.

The room was hot from the early afternoon sun beating down on the open space. No breeze offered a break in the air that lay thick and heavy over them. Emily examined the makeshift room that was haphazardly built up from the debris that had lain around. The crumpling of the plastic brought her attention back to the man.

Seeing her eyes he tossed the bottle to the side and began to tap the gun on his leg. He hummed softly as he adjusted himself on his haunches. Without a warning he placed a strong grip on her shoulder and propped her up into an upright position. The unexpected action caused her head to spin again, but she somehow managed to find enough control not to lose it. Her stomach however remained clenched at the sound of his menacing humming.

She slowly opened her eyes again when she remembered hearing Aaron's voice and tried to look around the unyielding mass blocking her. The space was tiny and if he were in the room he would be behind Reyes. Reyes caught her movement and adjusted his stance to obstruct her view. He placed the muzzle under her chin to direct her attention back to him.

"Did you really think I'd let you leave?"

Emily stared blankly at him not caring to answer. In defiance she took another chance to look past him.

"HEY!" He yelled.

The proximity and painful volume of his voice caused her to flinch and she sealed her eyes again. She listened to him take in a few short uneven breaths and used the time to try and center herself. Her concentration was shattered when she felt his hand cup the side of her head and fingers intertwined in her hair. Her eyes shot open to see what he was doing, and found his face inches from hers.

He stared at her briefly before he spoke with a little more care to his pitch. "Sorry about the bonk. I would've been a little more delicate if I had known how out of it you'd be."

He released her hair and mockingly patted her on the head before he rose. He paused and released a small hiss of pain before grabbing his side. He glared at her briefly then turned and revealed what was behind him. Emily felt her chest tighten at what she saw. There on a makeshift table of boards and rubble was Aaron. His arms were tied to a post that jetted upward behind his head. His legs were bound around a couple of two by fours that seemed to shoot out past the plank he was on. His bare chest rose and fell in a controlled rhythm. Emily carefully let her eyes reach his. They were dark and hard as he watched Reyes approach him, but when they met hers they softened and he immediately tried to speak to her. The man standing over him abruptly interrupted. Reyes tucked the gun into his waistband and smoothly pulled the knife he had attached to his belt out. The metal gleamed in the sunlight as he twisted it in his hand.

He chuckled and tilted his head back to direct his words to Emily. "It looks like someone has already used your big bad boss as a pin cushion."

He adjusted the blade so the razor sharp end came in contact with Aaron's pale skin. "Gives us some nice guidelines."

In a flash he swiped the blade several times over his torso. "X marks the spot."

"No!" Emily choked out and pushed herself to try and stand. She wasn't sure what she could do but any distraction was more time that the blade was no were near Aaron.

Thomas rolled his eyes at her effort. "Stop wasting your time." He pointed the tip of the blade at her and gestured to the ground. "Now sit back down."

Emily refused to obey and held herself strong. She knew he wasn't going to kill her, not right then anyway. He wasn't going to get the satisfaction he desired from that. He needed her to be a player in his act. With that thought she stood up straighter and let her glare be her answer.

With an irritated grunt he moved at her waving the knife in her direction. "You keep playing this game and it's getting old."

In two steps he was over her and with a swift movement had his hand on her shoulder pressing downward. The force pushed her legs out from under her and she hit her bottom hard. The jolt rattled her and her vision blurred again.

Aaron's voice saying her name cleared her thoughts briefly. Her eyes lazily went from watching Reyes stalk away to the man bound feet from her. She saw in his eyes the strength he was trying to give her. It was laughable really. She should be his strength. He was the one on the table, his whole ordeal with Foyet exposed, and now the implications of what lay ahead crystal clear.

She knew she needed to follow his lead. When the beast had hovered over him, blade in hand, he had been staring him down. Aaron was letting Reyes know he wasn't going to receive any emotional response from him, and that he wasn't afraid. She couldn't allow what she really felt about what he was doing visually show in her eyes or face. Her insides were another story. She was in constant turmoil to what was planned. She tried to blink back the tears that matched the blood trickling down Aaron's side.

A forceful sigh filled the air and Reyes was in front of her again. "I doubt you'll make it very far but apparently we can't take any chances."

He pulled a long strip of tape and quickly circled it tightly around her ankles and repeated the process on her wrist. He stood up quickly and grabbed his side again. Emily saw a small stain of blood form on his shirt. A flicker of hope sparked in her.

"I think it's time we get started, but first I think I need a bigger knife." He laughed and moved out of the room.

* * *

Aaron didn't take his eyes from Emily no matter how much she avoided it. When they'd meet it was brief; she couldn't keep contact. He understood the battle she was fighting, but he needed her to stay with him and he was searching for the chance to speak to her. He had to keep control and reassure her. He knew she was strong and had no doubt of how capable she was. His fear was that the recent events had shaken that confidence and now this situation was breaking her.

He fought his own emotional upheaval to the circumstances. He was exposed. His scars visible and as raw as they were the day it happened. No one was allowed to see them, and he definitely didn't talk about them. He had spent so much of his energy to maintain who he was after Foyet single handedly turned his world upside down. Without hesitation Emily had stepped up to offer herself as an emotional rock. He truly appreciated it and even though her never took her up on it he'd never forgotten. As the emotions came flooding back he had to force his own battle to the back of his mind. The best he could do now was let her know they were going to get through this nightmare. He had to turn his thoughts away from what may lie ahead for him and get Emily on board with his thinking. They were different than any other victim that Reyes targeted and they had to show him that. He just had to believe it to convince her.

He raised his head so that he could see her better. "Emily." He tried.

She stared at him her eyes dark with concern. "I'm sorry." She said almost wordlessly.

"No, don't say that."

"You don't understand," she protested and looked to where Reyes had disappeared.

He didn't care to know. "You need to listen. No matter what happens none of this is your fault. You have to understand that."

She didn't say anything.

"We have to stay strong, even if you feel like you want to break don't give him the satisfaction."

She only nodded slightly, her lips parted to speak but closed again. He knew she understood.

She began to twist at the tape on her wrists then moved to her ankles trying to remove the binds. "I think the wound on his side may be open and even infected. It's a weak spot that I can take advantage of."

"I agree but we need to be smart. Stalling is a good idea, but I don't want you putting yourself in harms way anymore. There's nothing to stop him from killing you."

She stopped her battle with the tape and looked to him. For a second he thought he had her understanding where he was coming from. The last thing he wanted was for her to push the man's limits and he loses himself releasing his fury on her.

"Yeah there is." She said plainly.

He stared at her confused to her meaning. She blinked and looked away. Her mouth moved before any sound came out.

"Killing you," was all she could manage before she had to pause from the emotions that over came her. She inhaled a shaky breath as she tried to force the words. "His plan is for me to do it."

There was no time for what she said to sink in before Thomas Reyes reentered the room, a vicious grin plastered on his face, his hands clapping together in a slow exaggerated manner.

"Give the girl an award."

* * *

_I really wanted the whole climax of the story to be in this chapter but it was becoming too long so I had to break it up. The good news is that the second half is almost done!_

_As always I thank you for reading!_

_Please don't forget to review and let me know your thoughts!_


	15. Chapter 15

___Sorry for the delay this was a toughie. _Thanks for hanging in and letting me know what you think! 

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

The murmur of voices rehashing the cases, the interviews, and the victimology were all just distant sounds. Spencer had found himself locked into his own thoughts and continued to flip through the files again. All he found he was accomplishing was adding another layer of information in his already overflowing mind. He knew he could figure out the missing element. He just had to let his mind work and try to keep the emotional pull at bay. Reyes couldn't be that complicated, it always came down to something simple that made sense to only the UnSub. He just needed to find that tell, but time was running out.

Emily and Hotch were two of the toughest people he knew, but this didn't give him much comfort. His mind worked on facts and the probability of getting them back unscathed, if at all, kept him distracted.

He tried to shake the thoughts by steering his mind back to who Thomas Reyes was. Of course he saw the obvious that it was Reyes' abusive father that had a hand in nurturing the monster that laid deep inside. He was smart and careful; he had gotten away with murder for fourteen years. He felt his _students_ found him, but why Emily? She didn't fit with his pattern of his other victims. What changed? Nothing made sense now, and he couldn't help that his questions kept going back to why the people he cared about ended up on the wrong end. It was derailing his train of thought and leading him on unproductive and emotionally based tangents.

He looked up to try and divert himself by seeing what everyone else was doing. He caught the tail end of Morgan and Rossi's conversation.

"Where does the bomb come into play? There is no history of it in any of the other cases."

Spencer jumped in and took the opportunity to correct Morgan. "It wasn't a bomb, actually. It was a broken gas line and a match."

"Okay, yes that," Derek responded with some irritation.

"It's another way he adapts." Rossi threw out there.

"So why?"

Spencer bit his cheek to the inquiry. This question intrigued him. There was no real reason for it. But there were no direct answers either. He knew the solution was staring them in the face. They were getting too caught up in the details and the details were constantly changing.

"We're looking too deep," Spencer mumbled before he looked up to Derek. "What if we looked at the general patterns of the murders? We start with Reyes' brother and family?"

"Okay," Morgan sighed at having to once again repeat himself. "It was reported by witnesses that Charles Reyes publically confronted his son about his gambling and drinking. They argued and threats were made. Later that night an anonymous caller sent the local PD to the son's house where they found Charles covered in blood and the murder weapon in his hand."

Spencer perked up. "Where?"

"What do you mean where? I just said the son's house."

Spencer shook his head excited at his epiphany and tried to stand to get the files just out of his reach. Dave saw the urgency and pushed them closer. Reid thanked him and hastily flipped through each one. "That's it."

"What's it?" Morgan pushed, "let us in your head kid."

Spencer's heart began to beat faster and he had to swallow to keep the information from exploding from him. "The family dynamic."

He then held up crime scene photos from each case. "The family room. All of the murders occurred in the family room."

JJ wrinkled her brow at the pages. "But then why was Kelly Parsons in the hunting blind?"

Rossi nodded. He saw where Spencer was going with the information. "Tanner said that before we first interviewed him Reyes was performing the kills in the house. He adapted at that point and moved to the blind. He may have been waiting for it to blow over and move back, but it didn't."

"So what does that mean for Emily and Hotch?" JJ asked picking up a rubber band and nervously played with it.

Spencer set down the photos. "We know he always has contingency plans. He can't take them to Emily's home so he makes what could be a surrogate for that."

"And where's that?"

Rossi looked to Spencer and answered the question. "Tanner's property. The place it all began for him and Emily."

"But the house is nothing more than rubble. Wouldn't he take her back to the hunting blind?" JJ asked still not convinced.

"No, it was dug up in search for how he escaped."

"So we go." Morgan urged.

"Whoa hold on a second." Rossi stood to stop everyone. "Who's to say he hasn't rigged the place? We can't just fly in there, he may have a plan to take everyone out."

"So we scout it out and go in quiet." Morgan shrugged as if it was the only thing that made sense.

Spencer pulled out the photos of the house and laid them out. He pointed to the remains of the home. "There is only one possible room that has any coverage. It's here in the back but it's still pretty open, he'd see us coming." He tilted his head as he visualized the houses layout. "But he'd want coverage, and I know there's no basement."

"Wait a second guys." JJ slid back in her chair her face frozen with doubt. "What if we're wrong? What then?"

The room filled with her apprehension and no one spoke at first. They all knew the stakes, and this was no ordinary case with victims they could just walk away from if it went bad. It was hitting way too close to home.

"There's no denying how emotionally involved we all are." Rossi tried to be a voice of reason. "This is what we have and I'm not going to allow this human wreckage to destroy our family."

"We go prepared then." Morgan nodded his agreement and pulled his phone, put it on speaker and speed dialed Penelope.

"Derek?" Garcia's answered with hesitation afraid that bad news was about to be delivered. "Tell me."

"We're making some progress baby girl, but I need your help. Can you get a real time satellite picture of the Tanner property?"

"Oh yes I can." Her voice picked up. "In a flash."

Derek pointed to the laptop and Dave spun it to face everyone. He lifted the screen and clicked a button bringing it to life. The link that Garcia sent was waiting for them once it fully booted.

"Can you zoom into the house?" Spencer asked squinting at the image.

He then sat up excitedly and pointed to the screen. "He did create a barrier, look." He then grabbed the picture of the house and held it up for comparison.

Morgan turned to JJ. "Call swat have them meet us there, but quarter mile out. We'll hike it in."

Spencer reached out for his crutch when Rossi stopped him. "No, you and Jayje need to stay here."

"No way!" JJ exclaimed. "We'll stay back, but there is no way we're not going."

Rossi nodded. "Alright, let's go then."

* * *

Emily felt Aaron's shock to what she just said, but he didn't flinch. She never told anyone of Thomas Reyes' intentions to have her forcefully kill Kelly; it hadn't seemed necessary to disclose. Now however it mattered, but it was too late. She was surprised when Hotch nodded his understanding and then turned back to Reyes.

"I'm not afraid to die, how about you Thomas?" Aaron challenged.

"Oh I'm not the one that's going to be doing the dying." Reyes laughed twirling a roll of black duct tape over his fingers. He watched it glide down his hand letting it settle around his wrist.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with. Our team will stop you. And that's only if we don't first."

The room became eerily quiet as the two men stared at each other in a battle of wills. A smile crept across Reyes' face and he clasped his hands together. "Interesting since I'm not the one tied down right now. I guess we'll see how strong you really are."

He began to turn his back but paused in contemplation. He then pulled the tape roll off and stepped back over Aaron. He removed a strip, but stopped again before he sealed the tape over his mouth. He leaned in close. "No one really cares what you think, and you're just going to tire yourself out trying to get undone. You might as well relax."

Straightening back up he quickly spun on his heels. The smile not fading from his lips he returned to stand over Emily.

Emily didn't want to look from Hotch, but Reyes required attention. She slowly brought her eyes back from Aaron's and climbed the towering man's body to meet his. She felt her stomach turn again when he raised a knife he was holding into view. With some effort to hide his own discomfort he knelt down to be at eye level with her. She tried to figure how this man planned to force her to hold a knife and how she could fight against it. She pushed back when he suddenly lunged at her grabbing her wrists and at the same time placed his knee on her legs keeping her completely under his control.

He looked from her eyes and dropped his head slightly. He began to examine her hands, an inquisitive look on his face. He gingerly ran his fingers around her swollen and bruised right hand. She watched his action carefully unsure what to expect. His grin turned venomous as he slowly rolled her hand into a fist. The sudden eruption of pain pushed air from her lungs.

The small gasp that escaped her lips only made his smile larger. "Oh I'm sorry is that uncomfortable?"

She couldn't respond and staring back at him was all she could do. He sighed and released one of his hands to pick up the knife he had set down.

"I know I said I was going to go bigger but changed my mind." He displayed the small knife in front of them admiring the sheen. "This is quite the work of art and has some real history."

"I don't care," Emily droned looking back to Aaron, but her attention was yanked back when Thomas pulled her arms towards him bringing her face close to his. She swallowed quickly and breathed out to keep control. She casually looked up to his eyes attempting to show her disinterest. His face-hardened, and he tightened his grip on her wrist before he brought the knife beneath her chin.

"You will listen. I'm in control."

Emily held her breath and said nothing.

Seeing he had her attention he played with the knife, dancing it in front of her. "Do you know what kind of blade this is?"

She kept her lips sealed. She realized every second that he spent in his egotism was another that kept them alive and hopefully the team closer.

He shrugged at her lack of response and continued. "It's a tanto with swage. One of the strongest points." His head rose in the arrogance of his knowledge. "The swage reduces the cross sectional profile of the spine at the tip. This one is at a 45 degree beveled edge spine to tip. It may not look sharp but how I have polished and smoothed it down creates quite a serious point and tip."

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked dryly.

"I want you to understand and appreciate the tool you're going to use. If it makes you feel better, all the characteristics of this masterpiece aid in piercing. Exactly what you need."

He easily placed the handle between her hands. She tried to release it but a quick squeeze on her injured hand rendered her useless. He then intertwined her fingers closing the knife in with the blade facing downward. She continued to squirm under his weight but it didn't seem hinder his efforts. He simply ignored her struggle and finished sealing the weapon in place by creating figure eights of tape around her hands.

She waited for an opening to fight back. He had placed a weapon in her hands, she knew she had to make an effort and show this mistake. As he began to tear off the last piece of tape he had to loosen his grip on her. She took the chance and bent her arms aiming for his head. The only thing she succeeded in was forcing him to drop the roll of tape. He sighed angrily but still leaned over to retrieve it, and that was when she saw a second chance.

She didn't hesitate to push upward on the light grip he had on her wrist. She threw her arms across and connected solidly with the side of his head. A grunt of pain escaped him from the unexpected contact. As he turned back she made a downward sweep in hopes to elicit some damage. He reacted quickly and dodged to the side, but not before the edge caught his arm.

"Shit!" he yelled out. His other hand flew out and gripped her wrists to stop the movement.

"Nice try." He growled taking a glance at the line of blood forming on his forearm.

"Put a knife in my hand." She challenged.

At first all he did was just glared. He then slowly moved over her letting the majority of his weight sit on her lower legs. Keeping eye contact he deliberately exaggerated his movements as he closed his enormous hands around hers, completely engulfing them. She tensed and pulled back in defense, but he was too strong. He only needed to tighten his grasp to end her physical protest.

His eyes bore into hers and a smile broke the crease of his lips. Before she could form even a semblance of a thought he let his weight shift to his arms. A white-hot blur of pain exploded when she felt the punch in her thigh. The agony ripped a shriek from her lips.

He let the blade linger and continued to stare at her. "Yes, put a knife in your hand." He pressed further opening her up deeper. She felt the point scrap bone. "You really should be more careful."

Emily bite down hard on her lip, her teeth effortlessly piercing the tender flesh. As she swallowed and gagged on the thick metallic substance she searched her reserves to find some control over the pain and not cry out again as he yanked the steel wedge out. The hole immediately flooded with blood and soaked into the dark material of her pant leg. The burning pain was excruciating, but she forced herself not to allow more of a response than the tears that had formed.

Still holding on he moved in close, his hot putrid breath directed at her. "I won't hesitate to do that again."

"I'd prefer it." She breathed out with as much hatred as she could manage. All in an effort to hide her agony.

"Of course you would-"

A rattle from behind interrupted him and he turned to see the disturbance. Aaron twisted and pulled at his binds. His eyes were fierce and he stared at Emily trying to warn her not antagonize him further.

The Unit Chief's sudden interference did little to keep Reyes' concern and was instantly back to Emily. "You've just made my job that much easier."

"Whatever you want to believe." She stammered; her voice riddled with pain betraying her attempt to be strong.

He didn't say a word and only responded with a roll of his eyes. With one hands still firmly gripping her wrist he snaked his other arm around her waist and lifted her up. The new position brought her attention back to her leg as she felt the warm blood pour downward. Bursts of pain that felt like the sharpest pins and needles imaginable radiated from her leg like constant current of electricity. It consumed her thought, yet at the same time she didn't care. A part of her hoped she'd bleed out before he could finish. He'd be unsuccessful then. Why would he continue if she passed out or died before he found his release? He waited until Kelly was conscious to finish. He would have to do the same now, right? It would give the team that much more time to save Aaron.

He grunted and paused from his own discomfort, but adjusted quickly and moved the few feet to Aaron and hovered over him.

Emily looked away when she saw newly created marks over the scars where Foyet had stabbed him. She had never seen his scars. His amazing strength and resilience gave the façade that made it easy to forget they were physically there. She was now a witness to what had been done, a constant reminder to what happened to his family, to his wife. How could he not be affected so deeply, and now Reyes was bringing it all to the surface? Her horrendous roll adding to what she could only imagine that he was thinking or feeling.

Her thoughts were torn away when the pressure on her arms became too great. Emily couldn't stop the blade as it slowly was lowered closer and closer to Aaron. She jerked back and tried to fight the force on her and the rebellious tears that stained her cheeks.

She looked to Aaron when she noticed how still he was. Was he preparing for the inevitable? Had he accepted that she had failed?

_Compartmentalize_ she repeated to herself, but somehow was incapable. The emotion that overcame her with the blade that was locked into her hands and only inches from Aaron was the straw that was breaking her. She was able to tuck horrors and emotions away all her life. Why not now? When it mattered more than ever. She continued her futile attempt to gain any control, but only found herself weaker.

Reyes let out an irritated and painful sigh. "Just let it happen. Killing gets easier. It gets under your skin like a drug, the best high there is. You'll see."

"I doubt that," she bite out through her clenched jaw.

She swallowed back the bile burning at the back of her throat. She tensed her muscles as much as she could but he had complete control of her. She was a puppet in his hands directing her where he wanted. She tried to close her eyes as blade began to sever the bonds of his skin. The tension easily broke and the sharp steel effortlessly slid through the epidermal layers. She heard a gasp escape past the tape still firmly adhered to Aaron's mouth. Her eyes shot open to see the uncontrolled pain that covered his face. She felt the nausea and emotional upheaval as one pressing force.

Every muscle in her body began to twitch. A tremble that began in her hands and quickly sailed through her body. As she felt the blade submerge deeper her shaking only became worse. She hated how weak she felt and unable to control any of the nightmare. The almost silent whimper escaping from Aaron continued to tear at her. No matter how much she tried to pull away her only movement was down. She was at the mercy of the monster. The word weak played over in her head. She was weak for allowing herself to be forced into the killing her friend. Weak for not fighting back harder. Weak for letting her emotions show.

He wanted to break her and she couldn't deny that she was on the verge. Aaron's words became distant and meaningless. She knew she was going to lose herself with each forced stabbing.

She turned her gaze back to her friend. She saw that no matter what was happening, even between the surges of pain, that Aaron kept his eyes strong. He stared at Reyes determined not to let his desires to see broken souls in front of him. Emily saw his silent battle and it was the push she needed not to give up. She closed her eyes again, this time to find a center and figure how she'd fight back.

Reyes continued to bear down on her, and she could feel that his breathing was closer than it had been before. His head was now level with her. Emily began to formulate a plan. The blood she was losing and the concussion left her with few options, but she'd go down fighting.

She couldn't allow him to force the blade to enter Aaron again. With that one thought she turned her head and sunk her teeth into his ear and pulled back. He let out a scream of pain and drew the two of them back away from the table. With his grip no longer on her arm she maneuvered around her body and brought her fisted hands back to find the domineering mass behind her.

She felt herself swell with something primal, something of pure survival. There was no more thinking it was all reaction. A new strength soared through her veins. She lost the control to stop and continually repeated to thrust until he separated himself from the attack. He pushed back against her and they split apart. She immediately went down hard. All she could do was keep the blade away from her body.

The force of her landing caused her skull to buzz, and her vision blurred again. Before she could move he began to come at her. She tensed for the attack when he unexpectedly stumbled backwards his hands going to his own wounds, confusion and horror painted on his face. He fell to his knees and gritted his teeth panting in his unexpected pain. When it seemed like he gained himself he looked up at her with a new fury in his eyes. He moved one of his arms behind him. She instantly knew what he was doing and realized her mistake. She had forgotten about the gun.

She watched him carefully trying to develop the next part of a plan. She became confused when a curious smile swept across his face.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"You tell me." Emily spit back through clenched teeth.

"I knew you were the right one." He laughed but immediately hunched over in pain and fell to his side. He began to cough and choke on the blood that his injuries were causing. The crimson liquid began to trickle from the corners of his mouth and stain his teeth. His grin never faded and his eyes remained locked with hers.

"The human body," he continued wheezing between each word, "is nothing but bones that can be broken, flesh that can tear and bleed leaving you mutilated and disfigured. But," He sluggishly raised his armed hand and eyebrows together to make his point. "The soul of man is strong, quite an amazing thing. It can over power the physical."

She saw from the corner of her eye the blood trail down Aaron's side had become heavier. Emily fought the urge to look. She couldn't let her eyes drop or move from Reyes no matter how much she wanted to see if Aaron was still breathing.

"To shatter the soul is the ultimate power." His gutted laughter once again filled the room. "Your soul to be precise." He paused and with great effort shifted the gun away from her to Aaron. "Enjoy your new hell Emily Prentiss."

She had no chance now. She lay helpless on the ground bound and bleeding. A gun directed at Aaron. She had failed and had caused this outcome. She could only flinch from the deafening blast.

* * *

_And there she is. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

_Please don't hesitate to review or comment!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Thank you for hanging in and being patient! Your continual support really makes the difference! I hope you still enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it! _

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

Crouched in the tree line Derek panned his binoculars over the remains of the Tanner house. His nerves were frayed and waiting was only making his anxiety worse. The merciless afternoon sun violently beat down through the trees. The thick sweat that beaded on his brow and under his heavy Kevlar was the least of his concern. He paused the search when his radio came to life.

"What do you see?" Rossi asked.

"I can't make out anything." He dropped the Nikon binocs and cocked his head in the direction of the Senior Agent. "You?"

"Nothing."

Derek felt every muscle twitching to make a move. "How long are we going to wait?"

Before Dave could answer a gun firing from within the collapsed walls broke through the air.

There was no more hesitation. Derek sprung from his spot giving orders. He cut the distance to the house by half almost instantly. He acknowledged Rossi leading his team to the front of the house while he headed to the hole of a door that led to where Reid indicated Reyes most likely would be with Aaron and Emily.

Once to the ruins he backed up against the crumbling barrier. He took in a deep breath to force his pulse to slow. He had no idea what lay ahead, but he put it on himself to pull his friends from the epicenter of the darkness. To make himself less of a target he pressed tight against the wall and tucked his chin in to his chest. He pounced through the opening leading with his gun. He directed the firearm right, then left, and back to front. Nothing. His heart pulsing in his ears he listened for a sign of life. A sign that the shot came from Emily or Hotch, and that they were okay. He stepped over downed beams and disintegrating dry wall. He placed each foot with care and strained to listen to where they could be. Then he heard it. Heavy breathing and grunts of pain. He crept through the long grey shadows towards the sound. He rolled passed the remaining wall and crossed the threshold.

"FBI-" His voice halted as it caught in his throat. He was unprepared for what he was entering into.

* * *

The wood shattered and splintered as the bullet careened off the pile of planks. Emily flinched as the pieces rained down on her. When the assault ceased she strained her head to see where the bullet penetrated, but was unable to make out anything. No sound or movement came from Aaron.

She looked back to Thomas expecting him to try again, but he was losing his own battle. He had become too weak and the mere weight of the handgun proved to be too much. It left his limp hand and rattled across the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest groaning in pain and directed incoherent mumbles to Emily.

She looked to the gun and back to Aaron, he was too still. She needed to get the gun further away from Reyes. She needed to get free from the restraining adhesive. She needed to see if Aaron was still alive. Emily tried to take in a calming breath to reign in her vortex of thoughts.

There were always options she always believed that. She just needed to find it and finish the fight. She watched Reyes twist in his own agony and she once again eyed the gun. She tried to at least rise to her knees, but the exertion was too much. Whether it was a loss of blood or the concussion her body refused and she once again found herself on her side. The gun was out of the equation, but she felt some relief that Reyes was preoccupied with his own mortality. He wasn't even looking in the direction of the gun. She knew not to trust it though. She turned to the next option. The tape.

She twisted her wrists and felt some hope as it started to loosen. She could feel her fingers begin to wiggle a little. On her left hand at least. She had no feeling in her right. It was numb and useless. If she was moving the fingers at all she didn't know.

A sudden glimpse of the blood-tinged steel in her hands stopped her; her breath caught and it felt like her heart had ceased beating. A flash of what she had done paralyzed her. She tried to look back up to the crudely built table. She only saw blood and hints of Aaron's pale skin. She tried to call to him but her voice failed. There was no angle she could move to that gave her a better view. A new level of panic to get the blade out of her hand overwhelmed her. Her stomach constricted into a tight ball that slowly began to unwind and shudder through her. Her options were running out.

* * *

Morgan saw the blood. It pooled everywhere. _What the hell happened? _

The first person he eyed was Thomas Reyes curled within himself gasping for air. The red liquid was flowing freely around him. He felt some relief that they somehow got an upper hand and the shot may have come from Aaron or Emily. But the reality of the scene proved otherwise. Derek followed the smear of the blood and it led to Emily. She was on her side completely unaware of his presence. She was focused on the bloody knife strapped in her hand. He pulled himself from Emily when he caught sight of Hotch feet from them bleeding and vulnerable.

He straightened and blinked his eyes rapidly to control the unruly thoughts in his head. He quickly refocused and in a few bounds he was over Reyes lifting the gun off the ground. Derek looked into Thomas' eyes. They were glazed and on the verge of the inevitable. His thoughts however were not on the fate of this man. He had more important people that required his attention.

"Parker," he called to the Trooper that stood in the doorway with a look of horror on his face. When the man didn't respond at first he yelled out his name again. The young man jumped back into reality and nodded his response before he moved to where Derek crouched. Morgan didn't hesitate to put him in charge of basically watching the man die, but more so prevent any last effort he might try to thwart saving his friends.

Derek found himself dancing between going to Aaron and Emily. He started to move to the Unit Chief when Dave bursting onto the scene solved his dilemma.

"I've got Hotch!"

He nodded and moved to the brunette. Right off he couldn't tell if she was injured. There was so much blood it was hard to make out if any was hers, and there were no obvious signs. He gently called out as he carefully stepped to her. Emily's eyes were huge dark pools, and Derek searched them for a spark of familiarity. They were lost in an unknown fear. The realization of the events stopped him in his tracks and it was clear she did not recognize him. She desperately pushed herself backwards and tried unsuccessfully to get away.

"Emily it's okay," he called again to tried to keep his own voice calm, "its me, Derek."

Her eyes perked up at his voice and tears began to flood them.

"Please," she cried out, "get it off!"

Derek immediately landed next to her and scanned her body desperately trying to understand what was happening. Her hands were tied together and a blood stained knife secured in them. She was doing her best to keep the blade as far from her body as possible. She continued to beg him to free her from the restraints. He had never heard the panicked tone that consumed her voice.

He tried to console her and pulled her into him but she fought back. As she squirmed in his arms she continued to plead with him to be freed. He spoke softly while he hastily tore at the tape.

As he continued to fight with the sticky material he tried relentlessly to get an answer from her. "Where are you hurt?"

Nothing. She was focused on her own hands. The task became quite a challenge, but finally he got it loose enough that the blade released and clattered as it connected with the ground. Emily used all her strength to push back trying to gain as much distance from her and the weapon.

Morgan moved with her and continued his goal to keep her attention. He was losing the battle. Her eyes were distant in profound pain and torment. Her body shivered. He took a quick look back to Dave blocking Aaron. He had untied him and draped his windbreaker over the Unit Chief's chest. He was speaking to him as he applied pressure to what could be a gun shot wound or a stab wound. He had heard the gun, but also knew Reyes' M.O. He looked back at the knife then to Emily and suddenly the pieces began to fit together. Making Emily watch his torture wasn't good enough anymore, his ultimate mental torment was to make her do it. Her state of mind suddenly made sense.

Without hesitating he pulled her into a tight hug and ignored her protest. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it. What could he say? Her tense muscles finally gave way and she buried her head into his chest. Tremors continued to ravage her body. He was determined to hold her until they subsided. When they did and she felt limp in his arms and he pulled back slightly to get a better look at her. That was when he saw the puddle of blood beginning to form under her. He searched frantically for the source. He gently laid her back and received no protest from her weak body. He caught sight of her saturated pant leg. How had he missed it? Was it the already dark material or the distraction of getting the knife out of her hands? It didn't matter now he had to stop it.

He ran his hands lightly over her leg and found the slit where the blade had ripped through. He tore it open further to reveal the wound. Her leg was stained red and blood continued to pool and overflow. He pressed down immediately on it and apologized when Emily jerked back from the pain.

"Just hang on for me, okay?"

She closed her eyes and rolled her head away. He became to feel the impatience to get the help that was needed. He directed his attention to Dave.

"Rossi! Where are the medics?"

"Five minutes out." The Senior Profiler said flatly and turned back to his task.

Derek looked past him to try and see Aaron. "How is he?"

"He's in and out. He's bleeding pretty badly."

"Is he-" Emily's whisper of a voice caught his attention.

"Who?"

"Hotch." Her cheeks glistened with fresh tears.

"Listen baby-"

"It's my fault." Her words cut him off and she was looking away again.

"Nothing is your fault." Derek tried to reassure, but he knew she wasn't listening.

He tried to keep her conscious by talking to her but she had stopped responding back. He felt helpless as he watched her dark eyes close and then sluggishly open. He became more concerned when he noticed the time between her closing and opening them became longer. He felt the panic rising up. He looked back to Dave and saw the same fear flash across his face.

* * *

If he could pace he would. Spencer had no desire to be on the outskirts of everything especially when the stakes were so high.

"It's too quiet." JJ's worried voice did little to help his nerves.

Just as Spencer began to formulate some encouraging response the echo of a gunshot set the events in motion. Their earwigs came to life with Derek barking orders to move in. Then silence again. The time stretched out with each excruciating second. Finally the repeating of _clears_ came through. The two continued to hold their breath and wait. Everyone around them stood at the ready.

Rossi calling for the medics was all the two agents needed to get to the house. The medics were already climbing into the Ambulance before Dave could finish his request. JJ ignored her aching ribs and hastily climbed into the driver's side of the SUV and fired it up. Her nervous energy to get to the scene flowed through her, and she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently waiting for Reid. Spencer climbed in as fast as he could and before the door was shut she had it in drive and moving closely behind the flashing lights of the vehicle leading the way.

The blur of bodies running with medical bags slung over their shoulder and backboards under their arms stopped Spencer from moving out of the passenger side.

"What should we do?"

JJ shot Reid a look and held the door briefly to answer. "I can't just stand out here and wait. Can you?"

She didn't wait for a response before she slammed the door and took steps to the house.

Spencer couldn't keep up with the swift pace that JJ was moving, but before she disappeared into the house Rossi emerged stopping her dead in her tracks. He couldn't hear JJ's question, but didn't need to. Spencer didn't take his eyes from Dave. He was shaking his head his eyes turned down. His concentration was on the towel in his hand vigorously wiping blood from them.

"Rossi?" Spencer asked desperate for any information.

Dave lifted his eyes and shook his head again. "It's bad."

* * *

Derek's voice was all Emily heard, but his words were foreign to her. She had not realized when she was moved from the ground to the backboard until she was lifted and gently swayed as she was carried away. Her head and body felt heavy and she couldn't move to see anything other than what was above her. She wanted to see where Aaron was, but it was impossible. Derek kept appearing over her but disappeared in the dark shadows. Her eyes were wide searching for him when the glaring sun hit her. She immediately squeezed them shut from the pain. She suddenly didn't want to open them again. She felt so tired and weak, but she couldn't let the darkness lingering in the corner of her mind win out. She had to know what was happening with Aaron.

She pried her eyes open. She looked around and realized she was in the back of the ambulance. Hands poked and prodded her. Strange faces cut into her eye line. Question after question directed to her that she couldn't answer. She began to fell overwhelmed and wanted to retreat again when Derek appeared.

She swallowed the parchedness invading her mouth to attempt to speak.

"Hot-" was all she could manage to force out.

Derek only tried to calm her. Damn it. She wanted to scream for an answer. His eyes gave her no comfort. They were sad and concerned. Were they for her or did he know something and was not telling her?

She had to believe that Aaron wasn't dead, but her mind wouldn't allow her to accept any other possibility. Not until she saw him. She hated feeling weak and helpless. The world began to fade away, but the thought of her failure remained.

* * *

_Please don't hesitate to review or comment. I appreciate all feedback!_

_Thank you for reading!_


	17. Chapter 17

_ I'm sorry for the longer wait between chapters, but I want it to be done right. I hope you find the chapter worth it! __Thank you for the support for the story!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

As the situation evolved Aaron couldn't help but feel helpless to Thomas. He fought at his binds more as the interaction between Reyes and Emily intensified. There was nothing he could physically do, but continued to give non-verbal direction to Emily. He had to hope she would understand, but found himself waiver when he saw the strange gleam in Reyes' eyes. Thomas knew he had the power at that point, and the more Emily trembled the more his excitement grew. With Emily's injuries she could not fight his dominance. Aaron was even more determined not to show the glimmer of weakness that was trying to take root.

_Stay focused and calm. _He repeated the words in a continual loop through his mind.

He concentrated on Emily. He fought for her attention and to maintain it, but it was clear she was stuck fighting her own battle. Her eyes were blood shot and her cheeks glistened with freshly shed tears. Somehow Reyes found her weakness and expounded on it, taking her to the brink. He knew if she fell there was no turning back. Aaron's one goal, even if it was his last, was to turn her around a pull back a safe distance from the ledge. He believed more than anything that she was too strong not to fight; he hoped she could see his belief in her.

Aaron saw the light glance off the knife and knew what was coming. He couldn't do anything to stop it. Reyes' evil smile curved upward revealing his crooked teeth. He was determined not to look at the blade as it came closer to his body. He would not blink. He would stay strong.

Time suspended and the pain was immediate. He turned all he had to focus on his breathing, and to show little reaction to what really was happening. He couldn't let the inevitable overtake his thoughts. He needed Emily to fight. He saw her lingering on the precipice between closing herself off from the mental torment she was enduring and making a last attempt to stop the mad man. He had never seen the haunting anguish that enveloped her face, or the apology that flooded her eyes. If he held strong she would see it, he just had to push past the pain.

Then it happened, through the haze he saw the switch, the moment Emily found herself again. He tried to stay conscious to be aware of what was happening, but the darkness of the room pressed from all corners.

Everything began to happen in clips. He heard Thomas' voice and Emily's strained responses. Then he felt his body jerk from the start that a guns blast created. He waited for more pain, but it never came. He couldn't lift his head anymore, but his mind painted a perfect picture of where the bullet had successfully pierced its intended target. Emily was too quiet. His voice failed to call to her, to make sure she was okay. The return of the silence created worse scenarios in his already worried mind. The cold and emptiness draped itself around him. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, but was now one he could not control.

Before the fog rolled across his mind and he accepted his entrance into the darkness he heard a familiar voice and saw a familiar face. He didn't feel the relief he should have. His body shivered with cold and his mind drifted. He tried with all he had to ask about Emily, but he could no longer focus. He felt himself fading and useless to stop it.

* * *

Derek jogged next to Emily's gurney after the nurses had met them in the Ambulance Bay and rushed her into the heart of the Emergency Room. He ignored them as they asked him to step back and leave. When Emily's eyes were open it was obvious she was lost and confused. He felt he needed to be her grounding rod.

He did his best to step out of the way for the nurses and doctors to do their jobs. They moved in a frenzied manner and everyone seemed to talk at once, but their efficiency was impressive. He watched Emily's face closely and the sudden panic that came across it worried him. He stepped forward and reached out to calm her. He had forgotten about her injured hand and gently squeezed. Her face suddenly drained of any color and her eyes became more distant than before. He didn't have time to react. She shot up yanking her hand from his and threw her elbow upward in a defensive manner. The force and impact hitting his face caused stars to blind his vision. He reacted by releasing her and moving back, his hand going to the unexpected injury. A nurse was immediately over him assessing the damage and at the same time moving him away from Emily. He tried to politely push her away. He didn't care about the sharp pain radiating across his jaw. He needed to be back with Emily. Whatever she saw was unnerving. If it caused that type of outburst it was clear it could only get worse.

* * *

Her body being jostled again brought Emily back. She looked at the passing lights then to the strange faces that once again invaded her sight. The brightness in the room hurt her head. She closed her eyes to gain some control of the pain so she could concentrate. She knew there was something she needed to do or find out. Her thoughts were muddled and the only thing clear in her mind was Reyes' towering form blocking her from what was important.

Suddenly she felt his massive hand on her and the intense pain shooting through her was back. He was gripping her hand, forcing the blade into it. She couldn't, not again. She jerked upward trying to find a way to fight him off. Her elbow successfully connected with something solid. The man recoiled in pain and shock and her hand was once again free.

Before she could make another move she found herself in a fight with a multitude of hands forcing her back down against the gurney. Slowly her eyes began to focus and saw Derek disappear past the sea of bodies. Shock and pain covered his face. She realized what she had done and tried to call out and apologize, but she had no voice. Strong arms pinned her down and unknown people tried to calm her. Even the threat of restraints did little to relax her frantic mind. A familiar and soothing voice floated over all the others, and she saw Derek reappear. She finally relented and eased her muscles. With him in her sight she knew she was safe. She didn't fight anymore; she didn't have the strength.

* * *

JJ methodically rubbed her forehead and eyes before settling on pinching the bridge of her nose. It had been an exhausting day and the hours in the hospital began to weigh heavily. Though her eyes drooped she had little desire to sleep, she didn't want to miss anything. She looked up and placed a hand on the colorless sheet that covered Emily. She created small circles on the cotton as she watched the brunette's chest rise and fall. She wanted to reach out and touch her, but was afraid of what reaction that would create. The last thing she wanted was to cause any more stress. It was clear with how her face contorted that the images she was seeing were torment enough.

A shadow created in the doorframe pulled her from staring at Emily sleep. Morgan stood with a tight smile and an offering of coffee. She shifted in the chair to acknowledge him and sighed when she was reminded of the pain in her side. JJ drug her hand discouragingly through her hair, then took another glance at Emily before she rose as quietly and slowly as she could and met him in the doorway. She accepted the small cup with a hard smile and then edged him to the hall.

"How is she?" He asked looking past her into the room.

"She woke up once and asked where she was, but was out again before I could answer."

JJ took a small sip of the coffee and paused. She looked at the dark agent over the rim of the cup. The swelling had reduced some but the purples and blues were painted clearly on his jaw. Markings of where Emily's elbow had collided with it.

"Are you okay?"

He rubbed the side of his face in response to her stare and question. "I'm fine. Just glad it was me and not one of the nurses or doctors."

She didn't answer and just nodded looking back into the room. She let there be a small stretch of silence before she dared to ask.

"How's Hotch?"

Derek sighed and looked down. "He's out of surgery and stable, but no visitors are allowed yet."

"Yeah?" She asked encouraging more information.

"He had lost a lot of blood, but they were able to get control of the bleeding. They're going to monitor him closely for the next few days. When they feel he's ready he can be transported him back to DC to finish his recovery there."

JJ sighed with relief. Not out of the woods but on the edge at least.

"What about the team?" She asked.

"Rossi had spoken to Strauss. She has given everyone two weeks to regroup. Hopefully Prentiss and Hotch should be ready to go back by then."

"So we don't have to leave?"

"Nope."

JJ was about to ask another question when she realized Derek's attention was no longer with her. He had carefully moved around her and into the room. A smile broke the frown he had held on his face only moments earlier.

"Hey there." He spoke softly to Emily.

JJ silently followed closely behind Derek. She tried to smile when Emily's heavy eyes slipped past him and met hers. They were searching for answers, but JJ didn't want to add her voice to the room; she wanted to hear Emily's more than anything.

"Hey," the brunette finally murmured looking back to Derek.

"How're you feeling?" He asked.

She swallowed hard and blinked slowly. "Hotch?"

"He's going to be okay." JJ answered quickly before Morgan could. He shot her a look of disbelief at her half lie. She stepped closer to the bed, and ignored his stare. Emily didn't need to know the details right then, all she needed was a positive answer. She couldn't tell her how close they got to losing Aaron, it wouldn't do anything for her state of mind.

Emily released an audible sigh and closed her eyes, the smallest trace of contentment on her face.

* * *

Emily tried to concentrate on the conversations directed at her but she couldn't. Despite the constant invasion of nightmares she somehow desired sleep. It could have been the painkillers or the weakness she felt from her injuries, but she found herself in a constant state of flux. Either asleep battling the terror behind her eyes or half awake in a doped up stupor. She only felt comfort when someone was in the room. She knew they were waiting patiently for her to say or do something other than fake a smile or ask about Aaron. But his condition was all consuming. Her vivid and tumultuous dreams were about him and when she was awake it was a real nightmare of the unknown. When she woke and the room was bathed in darkness and vacant of familiar faces she tried desperately to go back to sleep to avoid the consuming emptiness.

She found herself trying to force focus and calm. Her impatience began to wane as the days passed and she gained strength to stay conscious longer and converse more. She hated that she had not had a chance to see Aaron yet. Everyone did his or her best to be encouraging by speaking about his positive recovery, but it really gave her little comfort. The doctor refused to let her leave the room. Arguing or bargaining was a waste of energy. He wouldn't budge and the team was traitorous in their stance as well.

The doctor was concerned of the severity of her concussion and unsure at the of the extent of any muscular or nerve damage in her leg. She had been lucky that Reyes wasn't aiming when he stabbed her. He had managed to go deep enough to reach a branch of the femoral artery, but any higher he may have severed it. She would have never made it to a standing position if he had. Though the surgery had to open the wound more, the surgeon was hopeful that there was minimal damage to the muscle. It had been a pretty clean cut. He was erring on the side of caution and confined her to the bed for now. She had little patience for what was best for her. She could care less about the _permanent damage _that the doctor kept threatening her with. Aaron's battle was all she could think about, and was going to find a way to get to his room to see him.

* * *

Emily thanked the young nurse again for finally giving into her plea. She watched him push the chair that occupied the space next to Aaron's hospital bed to the side so her wheel chair would fit closer. He nodded a response then signaled a ten-minute warning for her. She grudgingly agreed and settled awkwardly in the chair. She was not sure how she had convinced her night duty nurse to let her come down. Maybe it was the sincere tears in her eyes, or he had enough and was the only way to shut her up. Either way she finally got her way. As he was halfway out the door he paused and glared another warning at her to not do anything stupid.

"I won't even budge from the chair," she whispered a promise crossing her heart. He smiled and shook his head before turning to return to the nurse's station.

Her eyes wandered around the machines flashing and beeping. The array of lights created a rhythmic dance of colors in the dark room. She glanced down and followed the wires and tubes leading from the machines. They circled the railing and connected in and around his hand. Slowly she stretched out her arm. When her fingers were a breath away from touching his she hesitated and pulled back. Emily felt unsure what she was doing. She had to inhale deeply to settle her nerves. She diverted her eyes from the white sheet tucked tightly around his body. She couldn't stop her mind from visualizing the bloody damage she had created. It remained hidden under the thin cotton but she knew it was there and the reason Aaron laid fighting for his life.

She became overwhelmed with a paralyzing inability to accept that he was going to be okay, and that it wasn't her fault that the knife that pierced him had been in her hand. Her heart fluttered to her throat and the emotions welling up sealed her airway. Her vision began to blur from the tears that began to burn her eyes. She couldn't fight it; there was no swallowing the pain and guilt that consumed her. With hands shaking she tried to muffle the sobs that betrayed her.

Lost in her turmoil Emily hadn't heard the person enter the room or felt their presence until a gentle hand settled lightly on her shoulder. The physical touch and realization that someone had witnessed her break caused her to spring out of the chair. Her heart began to race mercilessly against her chest and her cheeks felt flushed.

The chair had screeched sideways across the floor and violently shattered the silence. Emily stepped out to catch herself when her weight went to her injured leg. It fired back and she bit down on her pain. She threw her arms out but became aware there was no stopping herself from going down. She tensed in anticipation for the hard landing when strong arms surrounded her waist and quickly stabilized her. Once righted, she struggled to free herself from his hold. A slight groan coming from the bed halted her fight.

The commotion had caused Aaron to stir, and in returned Emily began to panic more. Her eyes shot from the man holding her to Aaron. With a last rush of strength she pulled herself away. She ignored the need for the wheelchair her mind solely on fleeing. With slow and painful movements she limped out of the room using the walls and doorway to aid in her escape.

"Wait." The voice pleaded from behind.

She refused to respond and tried to create significant distance from the room, but exhaustion and pain were too strong of factors. All she could do was lean against the wall and let her head dip down in defeat. She had no-where to go and had to deal with Derek's unexpected presence. He was the last person she thought she'd see this late, and in the current situation made her feel more exposed and fragile.

He drew up quickly and stopped beside her. His hand reached out to touch her, but froze inches from her. Neither of them spoke and it took her some time before she slowly lifted her head to acknowledge him. The pause drew out. She wasn't about to break the silence. He was hesitating, unsure at what to do. He just stared, looking at her with deep concerned eyes.

She had to look away. She felt like her world began to spin. She didn't feel well. She wasn't sure if she was going to throw up or pass out, or both. She just wanted to close her eyes and maybe when she opened them again the pain would be gone and everything was righted.

She felt herself begin to slip down the wall to the ground. Derek reached out and slowed her progress with a strong but gentle support.

Settled on the hard tile Emily kept her head down. She was embarrassed. None of her actions lately had been her, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her so weak.

"I'm sorry." His voice was soft and sincere.

She was surprised and confused at his words, but couldn't respond. At another time she might have wanted him to expound on such an apology. She should have been apologizing for her constant outbursts, and as of late he seemed to be on the painful end of them.

She raised her eyes to his and nodded. He didn't say another word but kept his arm snaked around her and she didn't protest. It gave her comfort, and appreciated that he let her sit in silence.

The moment was shattered by an irate voice charging down the hall.

Derek sprung up to a protective stance over her.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man asked ignoring the dark agent blocking access to her.

Emily gently swiped Derek's pant leg. "It's okay."

Morgan looked down to her then back to the infuriated nurse. He hesitantly stepped to the side.

Still ignoring Derek he lowered himself down to examine her. He blew out a breath and pointed the red stain that began to soak into the grey cotton of the borrowed hospital scrubs.

"You're bleeding."

Shaking his head in disappointment he rose, but when he spoke his voice was softer. "Don't move, I'm going to get the chair and we're going back to your room."

Emily accepted the order and sat tight. She really had no choice since her erratic behavior was taking its toll. She didn't fight as she was lifted to sit in the wheel chair. Her embarrassment to what had occurred returned and she rested her head in her hands for the duration of the trip. Though Derek was silent she felt him keeping pace the whole way.

She silently hoped he would have let her go back alone, but given who he was she knew it was not a possibility. He would want to delve into her breakdown and try to fix her. She wasn't sure if the shattered pieces could fit back together. There would still be cracks and jagged edges.

* * *

Aaron looked blankly at the tray of food in front of him. It still looked as unappetizing as it had two days earlier. The nurse insisted that he needed to eat but he had no real desire to. He lifted his fork in a small effort, but set it back down where it had originally laid.

"Careful, that stuff'll kill you."

Hotch looked up to his visitor hovering in the doorway. "You're telling me." He replied a smile sliding across his face.

"Good to see you sitting up. " Dave commented and pushed off the wall to enter the room. "How're you feeling?"

"Better." Aaron replied. He tried to sit up further against the pillows at his back, but sunk back down when the pain in his abdomen intensified. He gave up caring about the food and pushed the tray to the side.

"I'm not looking forward to eating this for another three weeks back in DC."

Rossi chuckled and approached the bed. "Oh, I've taken care of that."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked raising a brow. He was intrigued at what his friend had up his sleeve.

"I figured you didn't need to spend any more time away from Jack so I've arranged for in home care."

"Dave you didn't have to, but I really appreciate that."

Rossi simply nodded and smiled. "Of course."

Aaron stared at his friend in a brief silence. He struggled with the unspoken question. He thought how to formulate what he needed to know, but there were too many unknowns floated through his mind. He finally asked in a general way. If anything he knew Rossi would be straightforward and blunt with him.

"What about Emily?"

"What about her?" Rossi asked crossing his arms.

"The team has given me updates on her, but not much else. It's obvious everyone's concern for her has increased."

"Yeah, well it's not surprising." Dave said in a nonchalant manner.

"What are you seeing?"

"She's being Emily. Trying to compartmentalize and deter any concern away from her. But she has closed herself off even more since her little stunt."

"Little stunt?"

"You don't know."

Aaron arched a brow. "No, Dave, I don't."

"We know she's come down here to see you, but ask her and she'll only admit to the first time."

Aaron remained silent curious for him to continue.

"Derek couldn't sleep so he came by to check on the two of you and was worried when she wasn't in her room. He found her in here crying. Now you can imagine her reaction to that."

Aaron let his eyes drop away from Rossi's. He didn't have to imagine, Emily Prentiss was not one to allow anyone to see her emotions so clearly. Yet, he found himself confused at her secrecy to the visits. He had stopped wondering why he had not seen her when JJ had said the doctor had denied her request. Now only more questions were raised.

He furrowed his brow in concentration. "I don't understand."

Rossi sighed settling into the chair finally. "She can't face you. She's so wrapped up in her guilt that she can't see past it right now."

Aaron paused and gave Dave a hard look, but held the silence.

"You two are strong, and I have faith she'll come around. It will take time and patience."

Aaron nodded his agreement. "I know we'll endure."

Dave said nothing but gave a small smile.

Aaron didn't voice his true concern, but knew Rossi felt it as well. Emily was one of the strongest people he knew, but this ordeal challenged that fortitude. She puts so much of herself into others and their well-being that she gets lost. The aftermath of Reyes will settle, but his fear was what she will look like on the other side.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you think!_


	18. Chapter 18

_So here we go, from the physical to the mental. Thank you for reading! Reviews and alerts keep me going, I appreciate each one!_

_Happy Reading!_

* * *

_Emily stood in front of large French doors, arms clutched tightly around her waist. The gray damp day hung heavy and dusk lingered on the cusp of night. She searched the growing darkness for something, but couldn't remember what. Before she turned she spotted it, a shadow slinking through the trees. A cold rush of fear snaked its way down her spine. She had to do something, but still couldn't remember what._

_One by one she saw them step out into the dimming light. With determination and guns drawn they moved smoothly along the cracked concrete following the evil. She felt that something was terribly wrong, and had to warn them. She pounded on the glass and struggled with the locked handles. She yelled out but no one heard her or looked her way. She searched to find a way to get to them before it becomes too late._

_Propelled by fear she found the strength to crash through the double paned doors. They screeched in response and rebelled by only opening half way. She squeezed through but by the time she had gotten free of the narrow barriers she has lost sight of them. She couldn't move as fast as she needed to. Her feet were heavy and with each step felt like she was sinking in quicksand. The air was chilled and the icy wind sweep over her, but the sudden panic burned through her. She searched out into the inky blackness but couldn't see anything beyond the small circle of light she stood under. _

_The evil grew and suddenly it was behind her. His large form towered over her and strong arms engulfed her. Cemented in her spot she was helpless to it. Her hand felt heavy and when she looked down the large knife was once again pressed tightly in hers. She stared at the fresh blood dripping from the razor sharp blade. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream. Then they appear, lined up haphazardly in front of her, life flowing from their expertly cut throats. Their eyes filled with a final horror before they drained to oblivion. She couldn't release the blade or wipe the blood that covered her hands. Suddenly free from restraints she fell to her knees, a failure. The taunting and laughing continue as an echo all around. _

Emily heard the rustling of the scrubs as the fabric caught with each step the nurse took. The soft noise was enough to wake her. Her eyes blinked open. The headache pounding behind her eyes replaced the nightmare that had begun its retreat to her subconscious. The continual throb beating in her brain just seemed to be a part of her now. The medication dulled it some but its menacing presence hung around.

She squinted in the dim light to see the shadowed form next to the bed. She closed her eyes again to concentrate on controlling the pain stabbing at her. She listened to him trying to be quiet as he moved around the room, but his heavy steps were anything but hushed. She really didn't mind. She barely slept without medication and would rather deal with the horses galloping through her head than the reoccurring nightmares. She turned to face him and he paused his note taking when their eyes met.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"For?"

"Waking you. My wife says I have one volume level, loud."

Emily couldn't help but smile.

"There it is." He beamed pointing at her.

"What?"

"Something other than the pensive look you hold most of the time."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "how do you know pensive isn't my norm?"

"I'm sorry," He quickly responded showing a trace of embarrassment. He tried to smile but looked as if he was trying to regain his read on her.

Emily smiled again to lessen his unease, "I should actually be the one apologizing."

"Why is that?" He asked curiously placing his pen back in his pocket.

"I heard you took quite a lot of heat from the doctor."

He laughed and let his head drop in amusement. "Yeah, Doctor Fitz can get pretty fired up, but no worries, I set him straight."

"Really?"

Seeing her surprise he continued, "I just let him know that for you to heal faster you needed the visits for your state of mind."

She blinked and just stared at the young nurse. She felt more exposed than ever. Was she all of a sudden that easy to read? Had everyone else seen it too? Were they being respectful biting their tongues, and if so how long until they confronted her?

She shook off the questions when she saw him gesture to the wheel chair tucked tight against the far wall.

"So we going for a ride tonight?"

"No, not this time Matthew, but thanks," Emily said in a small voice. She leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes. The pain was usually slow to dissipate. Most of the time she could at least concentrate, but at that moment it refused to abide.

"Can I get you something for the pain?" He asked seeing her discomfort.

"It'll pass," she lied.

He gave her a suspicious look then began to work on the IV. "So, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"I just wonder why we visit your friend so late? Not that I mind, it does break up my night."

Emily felt the tension build inside. She cleared her throat and adjusted in the bed, but didn't answer. She had not expected that deep of a question. To him it probably was just a general conversational question, but it was one that stripped her down to bone.

She would like to say it was because she didn't want to miss the visits from the team during the day, but that was ridiculous. They would happily take her to see Hotch. She knew he had asked about her. He was in no state to get to her room and probably wondered why she hadn't come down to him.

She didn't want to face the real reason she preferred him not knowing. She had to know that he was going to be okay. She would not be able to live with herself if her weakness was what had taken Jack's father from him. For now she felt the need to continue to hide in her mind and not answer for what happened.

Matthew's voice broke her thoughts. "You don't have to answer. I'm sorry," he said sincerely and continued his rounds of the room.

She glared at him not expecting him to give up the hunt. "That's it?"

He paused his movements and stepped closer to the bed. "I was just curious. For how much you seem to care for him I would think you'd want more of an interaction."

She was stunned into silence. Emily held herself, and closed her eyes to briefly steady her mind. Her heart suddenly felt heavy with guilt.

"I don't have an answer." She finally said her voice breaking with an unexpected show of emotion.

He smiled his understanding and patted the edge of the mattress, "you really should get some sleep. Doc will be by in the morning to evaluate when you can go home."

Emily nodded a response and forced a smile.

Though she had no desire to sleep she humored him and closed her eyes until she knew he had stepped out. When the room filled with silence again she rolled to her side and stared mindlessly at the shadows mingling on the wall. His unanswered question played out in a continual loop in her mind. Was she worried that her presence in the same room would bring up issues, and cause torment for Aaron? She knew that too was ridiculous, Hotch proved time and time again that his mental fortitude was unparalleled. She wanted to be there for him, she just couldn't admit the fear she had of actually facing him. She shuttered at her own doubt. When had her mind become a horrible and painful labyrinth she couldn't escape?

* * *

An incessant beeping started off as a distant nuisance and quickly became all-consuming. Aaron opened his stinging eyes and looked to find the annoying machine and stop it. He glanced around the stale room, remembering where he was and why. The tearing pain in his gut was a clear reminder and he winced as he tried to adjust his position. Giving up on moving he turned his head when a redheaded nurse rushed in, pressed a button, smiled and hurried out. He stared in confusion to her actions, but the sudden silence in the room was a relief to his aching head. As he followed her retreat he was surprised when Emily replaced her small form. Morgan stood tall directly behind her pushing the wheel chair into the room.

Morgan nodded his head towards Aaron as he pressed the locks on the wheels. "Morning."

"Morning," Aaron returned the greeting but his eyes didn't move from Emily. She looked uncomfortable and awkward. An unfamiliar nervousness exuded from her.

He carefully watched the interaction between the two. Derek tried to keep the air light and leaned over her shoulder grasping her attention.

"No funny business," he warned pointing at her.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she returned his teasing tone.

He nodded again to Aaron and excused himself from the room. Once gone Emily turned back to him and the nervousness returned. She fidgeted with the brace on her wrist and her eyes were slow to meet his.

"How're things going?" Aaron asked breaking the silence.

She tilted her head and looked slightly disappointed. "That was going to be my question."

"Okay, sorry. We could start over." He offered.

A slight smile lifted the corners of her mouth. The familiar expression tugged at him. It was an amused reaction but not one of sincere happiness, not that he could expect that from her right now. She looked small and frail in the chair, her eyes rimmed with dark circles and shadowed with her obvious pain.

"Are you getting any sleep?"

"Only when they make me." She half joked. "How're you?"

"Ready to get out of this place."

She nodded her agreement. "Have you had a chance to talk to Jack?"

"Yeah, we FaceTime a couple of times a day."

"I bet he can't wait for you to get home."

"Yeah, and the last thing he said to me before we got off last night was to be a good boy so they let me out sooner."

"What, are you breaking the rules here?" She quipped.

Aaron tried to add to the banter but couldn't help his concerned tone. "No, but I hear that someone else has."

"And I've been scolded by everyone, thank you." Emily said in a short clip, her defenses up.

Aaron cleared his throat, "I'm sorry I wasn't trying-"

Emily put her hand up to stop him, her voice lower. "No, I'm sorry, it's fine."

Silence once again filled the room. The conversation was not going as he had planned. He wasn't even sure what he could have planned. There was so much to say, so much to deal with, but no-where to start.

"When does the doctor plan on releasing you?" He tried again.

"Um, tomorrow. A few more tests and should be good to go." She motioned towards him. "I heard they think you're well enough to be transferred back to DC. Bethesda?"

Aaron shook his head, "Actually, Dave arranged for in home care. Looks like we'll all be heading home at the same time."

Emily smiled, "that's great. It'll be good one on one time with Jack."

"It will be good for both of us," Aaron agreed.

"He's strong, and proved to be quite resilient."

Aaron looked away briefly. "I think he feels he has to be too strong sometimes."

"He's a lot like you, but it's so soon to have to deal with something so familiar."

Aaron sighed, "I want to shield him from the truth but know I can't."

"He just wants to make sure you're okay." Emily encouraged. "You're a good dad. That's what is important."

Aaron nodded and stared at Emily for a second before he responded. "He feels he has be there for me when I really need to be there for him."

Emily cocked her head in curiosity. "So, what do you tell him?"

Aaron made sure they had complete eye contact when he spoke. "That it's okay not to be okay, and that it's okay to ask for help."

Emily suddenly grew silent and broke contact, the undertones clear. She fidgeted with the hard brace on her wrist and became more interested in looking to the far window and the distant sunlit parking lot. The only sound in the room was the nervous action of the Velcro being pulled at and replaced.

The look in her eyes was one he had seen before, and worried him.

She didn't have to say anything more, he understood. She was tucking herself away. Going into a mental lock down.

He understood her more than she probably knew, or maybe she did and that was why she was retreating. It scared her too feel the obvious pain she was in, and worse that she couldn't keep control of the emotional turmoil. He was the same way. They were mirrors held up to each other showing the parts of themselves they preferred to avoid.

It was easy for her to try and defer and try to be a rock for him, as he wanted to be for her. They were in the eye of the storm trying to hold on but were polar opposites fighting each other. They needed to pull together and not apart. He found himself biting his words back, not wanting to create a larger chasm between them.

Before he could say another word Derek poked his head in. "How's it going?"

She turned quickly relief flooding her. "Good, but I think maybe we should head back and give him some time to rest."

Derek looked curiously from Emily to Hotch and waited for his order.

"There's plenty time to sleep." Aaron tried to protest her retreat.

Emily leaned back and shook her head in refusal. "Probably best, it's a long flight tomorrow."

Aaron didn't want to leave it so unresolved, but saw that the door had been closed. He only nodded and reluctantly watched her as Derek wheeled away.

* * *

Dave was the first to settle into a plush leather seat on the jet. He chose his spot carefully so he could see the entire team. As he watched the broken and battered individuals enter one by one he anticipated Emily's arrival.

When she limped in she tried to inconspicuously slip past everyone and isolated herself at the back. Derek hovered closely behind, holding onto her lone crutch, and offering continual assistance that she politely refused. The narrow aisle made it hard to use the crutch so she used the backs of the chairs to support herself. Moving slowly she clumsily made her way through the jet. The others eyed her movements but respected her desire to be alone and let her be for the time being.

Dave had noticed that she looked more exhausted and ragged than when they left the hospital. Derek had said she and Aaron had spoke briefly the day before. Morgan had no idea what the conversation held but the two separated with a thicker tension than they originally had. Aaron had not revealed any of the conversation or concern, but he had noticed that he had become more distant. The two had a long road of recovery to deal with, and their main obstacles were themselves and own stubborn nature.

With everyone settled and the jet taking to the air Dave continued his mental evaluations of the team. Everyone's instincts to protect and help each other were kicked into overdrive. It hadn't been that long ago that they all had felt this helpless before, but it was different he had to remind himself. They got the bad guy and everyone was going to be okay.

Morgan was not very subtle about his watchdog role. At the hospital he had moved between Aaron and Emily, but spent more energy on Prentiss. He was quick to react at anything Emily did or said. He couldn't blame the guy and though she didn't seem to heavily resist, he could see it possibly backfiring at some point. Reid remained quiet most of the time, unsure what he could say or do. When he spoke he rambled nervously until someone gently brought him back down. JJ hovered protectively as well but was much more discreet than Morgan. She took in the scene and was careful to her reaction and what was said, if anything at all. Aaron and Emily were so similar in how they were dealing with what happened, and he could see the attention was wearing on them. He was on alert as much as everyone else but felt caution was the best offense.

The silence and gentle movement of the jet took the passengers quickly. He saw that sleep tugged at Emily but she was adamantly resisting. He decided to act before she gave in and unbuckled his belt to step towards her.

Emily tightened at his sudden presence and he raised his hands in surrender. "Just thought you could use some company. We don't have to talk."

He saw her ease up at his words and gave her a sideways smile as he settled across from her. "I think I know better than to force you to do anything. I don't think I'd survive the fall when you push me out of the jet."

He was pleased to see a small smirk creep onto her face, but it was ill fated. Her head dipped slightly before biting her bottom lip stealing away the smile. She then turned her attention out to the vast sea of passing clouds.

He watched her briefly and then opened the newspaper he had brought with him. He fought stealing glances her way as he pretended to read. After a few minutes passed he folded the paper and set it down on the table between them. She turned and watched his movements curious to what was coming next.

"I think I'm going to have a coffee. I'd prefer a nice scotch but wouldn't want to be rude since you can't join me." He rose and maneuvered out of the chair and paused over her. "Can I make you one?"

She shook her head, "no, thank you."

"Okay," Dave shrugged and set off to accomplish the small task.

Once settled back in Dave leaned against the cushion and blew the steam from the hot brew. His eyes back to Emily.

"I bet you're pretty envious of Hotch right now."

The unexpected words caused her to jump slightly. Her face reflected a mixture of shock and surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"I mean here you are stuck in this metal tube with all these profiling eyes and he's on a cushy air ambulance."

"I'd actually prefer neither of the choices for either of us."

Dave set the mug down and watched the small waves he created. "We can't control or change events, but we can control how we respond."

Emily stiffened and raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Is there something you want to say?"

Rossi casually gestured to the cup between them. "If I burned myself on the coffee I could yell out and cuss to high heaven or I could bite down on the pain and try to ignore it. Either way the pain is still there."

"So?"

"We both know you're not a screamer, but doesn't mean ignoring it is helpful either."

Emily sighed and looked away.

"Look, Emily, I said I wasn't going to force anything here. I just want you to know I get it, and you're not alone."

Emily's eyes softened at him but didn't say a word. She turned back to stare out the window. Dave kept his promise and said nothing else. He picked up the paper and this time began to read its contents. When he looked up again he was content to see she had allowed herself to go to sleep. He rose as quietly as he could and returned to his original seat.

* * *

_The clear blue sky vanished as the ominous gray thunder heads rolled into place. The arctic wind whipped around Emily and she shivered. She tried to pull the coat more secure over her but realized she didn't have one. With her arms wrapped tightly around herself she took in her surroundings. There was an air of familiarity to the snow covered woods. She didn't know what until she saw the trail. Fresh marks begging her to follow and a voice loud in her head pleading to end the madness once and for all. This was another chance to make up for her failures._

_She observed the two sets tracks. One was heavy boot prints that followed an even steady path. The others were slightly smaller and erratic like someone trying to get away or fight the direction they were being led. She walked the perimeter of the trail heading deeper into the dense trees and brush. Her surroundings became darker and only caused her to allow the doubt to flood through her veins._

_The shoe prints began to lighten but replaced by drops of blood. They were vivid contrasts to the white snow. She felt her breath begin to pick up she knew where this was leading and could not stop it. She knew it was a dream, so why couldn't she wake up? Or change it._

"_Just open your eyes," her mind screamed at her. Her eyes refused to budge and she continued moving forward. The red that soaked into the drift became thicker and heavier. She knew what it was. She wanted to fight it, but the inevitable was unrelenting._

_An opening appeared, as it always did, and she scanned frantically for what she knew was there. Then just as she anticipated he stood before her, taunting her to stop him. He was as large as the tree he blocked. His evil smile painted across his face and mockingly waved a large knife at her. It dripped the blood she was fighting to stop. His menacing smile grew as he moved to the side revealing Aaron's slumped body tied to the lone tree in the clearing. She tried to move, she tired to run but her body now refused her mind. _

_Aaron barely lifted his groggy head. His dull eyes met hers. He shook his refusal before he let it drop again. She didn't understand, and found herself instantly over him._

"_Don't," he whispered._

"_Don't what?" She was confused. She needed to save him, that's why she was there._

"_Do." The evil responded._

_She cried out as the blood blinded her._

Emily jumped and tried to stifle the scream back down her throat. She choked on the escaping noise, and with panicked eyes she searched her surroundings trying to regain a sense of calm. The images refused to vanish; they hung on and were still a vivid reality. Her stomach continued to twist and the disgusting feeling permeated throughout her body.

She suddenly felt Morgan's dark eyes on her, profiling her. She refused to acknowledge him. For her sake she'd like to pretend he didn't see her. If she could she'd sink into the leather and become part of the inanimate object. One that couldn't feel, one that couldn't hurt. Derek only exuded concern and a desire to help, but the wounds were too fresh. She preferred not exposing how deep they really were. She wanted to bolt, to run as fast from their worried and prying eyes. She hated feeling so trapped, everyone a witness to her inability to fight her own mind. She closed her eyes the only way she knew to hide.

* * *

Seeing Derek's reaction to Emily, Dave moved as subtly and quickly as he could to keep the man from leaping from his chair.

He eased into the seat across from him and blocked his line of sight.

"Looks like we'll be landing soon. Might want to put your seatbelt on."

Derek looked to him shock and anger mixing in his eyes. He shook his head and tried to once again peer around the man. "How can you just sit back and be so laissez faire about all of this?"

"You know just as much as I do that she needs space. You don't want to push her right now."

"Don't go there, I heard your conversation." Derek said cutting him off. His voice like steel but lowered so not to draw Emily's attention. "I get it, but this is something different. We can't allow her to isolate herself. I have to at least try and help."

"She will come around," Rossi persisted, "she knows you're there for her."

Derek's concentration was back on the brunette trying to hide in plain sight. "Yeah, but, why she insists on going at it alone I'll never understand."

"Because she's Emily Prentiss."

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you think! The nifty review box is waiting! ;)_


	19. Chapter 19

_Almost done! I know the end of stories seems to lose people but I truly appreciate you hanging in and hope I can do the story justice! _

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Derek followed Emily's strained movements. The air was no longer casual. He had pushed the line. He just couldn't play this _everything is fine_ game anymore. He needed her to stop pretending most of all, but right then all he wanted was to diffuse the tension he had created. He felt at a loss to how, and Emily was giving him nothing. He had tried to utter the words as gently as he could but they had come out raw and harsh. Had her purposeful distance sent him to that point? It didn't matter now; he saw the fury build. Her eyes grew darker and her features hard. Now she stood in angered silence rewashing the same ceramic mug over and over. Running it under the scalding tap.

"Emily I-" He stopped himself short when she slammed the cup down. Her hand reached over and clenched the dishtowel. Her head dropped briefly and she took in a calming breath, then slowly lifted her eyes and looked at him.

"I don't have PTSD if that is what you're getting at." She stopped to survey his reaction. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"You need to talk about it. You can't pretend like nothing happened."

"There it is again," she said tightly, "why does everyone feel the need to try and fix me?"

"Look, Emily, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm not trying to understand how you feel and can't imagine what you went through."

"No, Morgan, you need me to talk about it so you can somehow feel better. I would think by now everyone would get it."

Derek's arms crossed his chest and he felt his own defenses rise, but he wasn't about to let her get away with locking them out. He was determined to show her that she had a sturdy structure to lean on. He knew her well enough that she felt, even after all they had been through together, that in the end she couldn't rely on anyone. He understood where she was coming from, she had been let down so many times it was her own self-preservation. He needed her to understand that she had him and the rest of the team standing strong ready to catch her and hold her up.

Their eyes locked in a stubborn battle. He let the silence stretch out. He felt his jaw tighten, but relented. For once he wasn't going to let the game continue. He was going to end it.

"You know, I would think you would get it too."

"Meaning what?" Her voice impatient, and her arms crossed now.

"I care about you too much, everyone does. Too much to let you hide until you feel you have fortified your shield enough so the horrors that continually torture you won't leak out. God forbid we ever saw your pain."

"Don't Derek," she warned. Her eyes darkened again and for a second he thought she was considering violence. She turned to walk away but he reached out and stopped her.

The color drained from her face and she looked at him. Pain was dancing in her eyes. "I don't understand why you and everyone come by every chance you get, or are calling to _check in_? Why aren't you pounding on Hotch's door, trying to console him or trying to get him to talk about _it_?"

"It's different."

"How the _fuck _is it different?" Her tone jumped again and the fire once again burning in her eyes.

"Emily-" Derek tried to gain control, but she put up a silencing hand refusing him.

"He was forced to relive a horrific event. One that behind his own walls was maybe getting a slight grasp on." She lowered her voice and dropped her eyes briefly. "Some things scar us so deeply that we can only hope that one day, for at least one minute, we don't have to think about what happened."

"What happened is not your fault. You understand that, right?"

Her lips sealed and something flared in her eyes again but this time he couldn't make it out. Anger. Hurt. Embarrassment. Guilt. Maybe all of them, but suddenly her eyes cooled and her features softened. He felt the walls beginning to come down; he had to jump them before they sealed him out again.

"You're not alone Emily."

She licked her lips and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and held it there in contemplation.

"I know that. I can't explain it."

"Try."

She refused and shook her head in a final attempt at defiance. "Can we just go?"

"No, Emily, it's not that easy."

"Derek, please." Emily pleaded and reached out lightly touching his arm. "I appreciate everything you and everyone else are trying to do but I just need to time to figure it out myself."

The words were not what he wanted to hear but had to accept them. Rossi was right. She was who she was and he didn't want to push her away any further. He saw her retreating and the only way to keep a grasp was to step back.

"You ready to go then?"

Emily sighed in deep relief, "yes."

* * *

Emily intently watched the clear liquid settle in the glass after being disturbed when it was lifted and moved to the side for the plate of hastily made food. Her eyes adjusted to the half turkey sandwich on toasted sourdough and side salad. It was merely a couple deep green leaves sprinkled with a few strands of shaved carrots and topped off with an almost too glossy red cherry tomato. Her stomach felt empty but looking at the food she had little desire to even attempt to fill it. As an automatic response she pushed the plate to the side and moved the glass of ice water back in front of her.

"Something wrong with the food ma'am."

Emily looked up quickly to the annoyed middle-aged waitress. She stood over the table arms crossed and foot tapping in irritation waiting for a response.

"Not at all," she replied giving a cold smile.

The woman squinted in suspicion then shrugged and stalked away mumbling under her breath.

"Didn't know there was a law that you had to start eating the second the food was forced in front of your face." Emily huffed.

JJ didn't respond but looked at her watch then to Reid sitting next to her. "Penelope's late."

Reid nodded and swallowed the mouthful of tea he had just drew in. "She has been given a lot more to do since-" He stopped himself looking to Emily.

Emily sighed, "I'm not made of glass Reid."

He fidgeted with his napkin. "I know. I'm sorry Emily."

She gave him an encouraging smile to continue. He returned it and began, "she's been put to the task of connecting the dots to all possible murders Reyes was tied to. His tattoos gave us a lot of information, but there are more being uncovered."

"How many more?" Emily asked.

"As of right now at least ten."

"Great," JJ sighed and looked across to Emily and saw that her eyes had become distant.

JJ watched Emily's emotionless face and blank stare. She wanted to reach into her and pull the woman she knew from behind the walls. She wondered why she even agreed to lunch. It wasn't to talk, and it definitely wasn't to deal. It was just another way for her to hide. To pretend that she wasn't suffering, but moments like the one right then was more than revealing to her true pain.

Emily had disconnected. She rubbed the condensation that had built up on her glass. She let it pool and roll over her thumb. As she watched the droplet run along her skin and drip off onto the tablecloth her mind drifted to all the horrors that Thomas Reyes had inflicted. It felt like even with him gone it was never going to end.

Reid glanced quickly to the blonde feeling the uneasy air. He spoke up again his voice squeaking slightly. "Three of his victims that went to prison have been acquitted."

Emily looked up to the doctor and creased her lips into a makeshift smile. "That's good."

JJ jumped in changing the subject, "so, Morgan took you to your appointment this morning. How'd that go?"

"Interesting," Emily said taking a sip of her ice water then giving it a disgusted look before she set the glass down.

"We can go somewhere else." Reid offered.

Emily's head shot up realizing her actions. "Sorry, it's fine." She tried to adjust her failing mask. "Just one of those days."

"Yeah?" JJ encouraged.

Emily shook her head and was about to speak when her phone alerted her of a text from Penelope.

_My love I am so sorry! I'm stuck here, but so wish I was there! I will make it up to you!"_

Emily examined the text and quickly responded. _No worries._

Before she could set the phone back in her purse it came to life again. _Yes worries! Are you kidding me!? _

Emily rolled her eyes. As her fingers began to slide across the letters another Garcia message popped up.

_God Emily, I miss you! I have not properly seen you or spoken to you! So yes I worry and we will have a proper chat._

Emily sighed and decided against attempting to stop her. She didn't reply and tucked the phone deep into her purse almost hoping it would get lost in it.

"Garcia can't make it." She said returning her eyes to the curious ones across from her.

Emily sat back and watched her two friends eat and converse wanting desperately to sincerely engage. To be able to actually look them in the eyes without them knowing she wanted to shrink away. To be present with them and not thinking how Aaron was doing, how he was coping.

All she had were missed phone calls, or conversations laced with cryptic messages. Neither of them wanting to admit how hard it has been or able to express what they needed to really let go. Her one attempt to visit him was met by an overbearing and resistant nurse. She was annoyed Emily had even shown up and insisted that she left so he could get proper rest. She knew it wasn't Aaron's wishes, but she lacked the energy to fight it. She backed off.

All she could do was sit with the empty feeling that consumed her. She cursed Thomas Reyes; he was getting what he wanted.

* * *

Aaron woke up with a jolt. His breath caught briefly choking him. His hands gripped the edge of the mattress. Sweat bead on his brow and his chest heaved with the erratic pounding of his heart. Realizing his reaction he looked to his right to his son who lain as still as a statue. His wide eyes stared back in curiosity and fear.

Jack's innocent face took him from his own concern, and he focused on easing his worry. His head dropped to Jack's level and leaned onto his side. Aaron tried to hide the grimace that formed from the stretch on his still tender wound. He brought his hand up and reassuringly rubbed his son's shoulder. He made sure no matter what horrors he saw behind his eyes to let Jack see it affect him. He let his face soften and he smiled gently to him.

"Daddy?" Jacks voice was tired but timid and unsure.

Aaron squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay son. Sorry I scared you, go back to sleep."

"So'kay." He yawned and his eyes closed as fast as they had opened.

After taking a moment to stare at Jack and appreciate the gift that he was, Aaron carefully rolled out of his side of the bed. He moved to the window and pulled the curtain open. He let his weight be held up by the frame and watched the rain attack the dark night and create diagonal lines along the glass.

He glanced once more to Jack peacefully sleeping. He felt envious of his content state, but it wasn't that long ago he was taking up vigil with him and the trying to ease the nightmares of losing his mom and the fear of losing him.

Aaron had found a way to fight his own demons, and having Jack to wake up to everyday made it easier. His heart suddenly dropped when he thought of Emily. Outside the team she was alone. Emily was resilient and strong, there was no doubt about that, but she was going through something that no one should have to go through alone. The feeling that she didn't deserve anyone to help her. Her defenses were up full force, and she was making herself more untouchable. He knew it because he had done the same thing. The difference was that he could transfer his energy to Jack just as he had done after Haley died. She had always made it known that she would always be there for him, whatever he needed. Now he wanted to return that. He wanted to be there when that moment came that she no longer could patch the cracks. When she could no longer be in her own thoughts and she had no choice but to open up.

He looked at the clock 10:30. Realistically it was too late to call but he knew she wasn't asleep. There was no doubt in his mind that she was avoiding sleep as much as he was, if not more.

He moved back to his bed and slowly sat down on the edge trying not to disturb Jack. He reached over to the nightstand and picked up his cell phone. He stared at it in contemplation to even call, but he couldn't let it go.

He pressed her programmed number and hoped she would answer. He rose and slipped out of the room as he waited for her to pick up. He wasn't surprised when it switched to her voice mail. He considered letting it go and try again in the morning but a nagging feeling persisted. He paced uncomfortably in the hall debating his next move.

* * *

The soft vibration of the phone on the side table woke Emily from her restless sleep. Her eyes fluttered open to the darkness of the room and immediately she felt a surge of panic. An unnatural fear took hold. Her fingers fumbled for the switch on the nearby lamp. With a loud click the room filled with the soft glow. She looked around but unsure what she was searching for. When her heart slowed and her surroundings once again became familiar she released the breath she was holding. Another noise caught her attention and she strained to look at the antique clock on the mantle. It was letting her know of the late hour with soft rhythmic tones. The cell bouncing on the side table reminded her of what initially woke her.

She grabbed it and began to chew her bottom lip seeing the name on the caller ID. Hotch.

Emily rose placing the cell back down ignoring the call. A trace of dizziness swarmed her head and she reached out for the cane that had been leaning against the couch. She had to put all her weight on it to support her until the faintness passed. She tried to shake it off as quickly as possible; she wanted to create distance from the annoying device, but more specifically the person on the other end.

Once the darkness and stars cleared enough to see she limped stiffly to the window. In front of the glass she leaned against the sill and stared into the night. Her gaze wander over the rain soaked city and slowly let her eyes lose focus. The drops blurred the distant lights dotting them like a pointillist painting.

Her mind felt foggier than usual, but the one clear thing was she couldn't have a conversation with Aaron. She had to let the dust settle, but everyone's constant attention made it nearly impossible to allow it. She spent most of her energy quelling their concerns than actually dealing with the demons that were hiding out waiting for the worst moment to jump forward. At some point she preferred it, a way she could put off the inevitable, but each day and each question began to pile on itself. She knew the one that was going to break her would come from Aaron.

A chill suddenly took her as she saw her own reflection. Whether it was the distorted glass or pale light she couldn't look away from her disheveled hair, or her sad eyes. The ghostly form in front of her was a stranger, and it scared her.

Her phone coming to life again tore her from her self-pity. She turned her head back to the source of the noise. He was being persistent and it was late. The factors themselves began to worry her, and now she became concerned if he was okay. She limped back to answer this time.

* * *

After ten minutes of a mental debate Aaron knew he had to follow his gut and redialed. In the two weeks they had been back in DC they had spoken a few times, and it was just as cryptic as their last face to face conversation. She had laid it out that she wanted to be there to help him when what he needed was how to help her be okay.

She had stopped by after one of her appointments but he had been sleeping and his nurse sent her away. When he had heard about her visit and what the nurse had done it infuriated him. He made it clear for that to never happen again, but it was too late. He saw the chance fleeting and knew she would not make another attempt. He had to make the first move now.

On the fourth ring when he expected the voicemail again she answered.

"Hotch?" There was an obvious concern in her voice, "are you okay?"

Of course her first instinct was to worry about someone else.

"I'm fine. Actually, I was calling to see how you were doing."

"It's almost 11:00 at night." She said in an almost shocked tone.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No." She answered slowly and became silent.

He felt her distance instantly and tried to keep the conversation simple.

"I just wanted to see if there was anything you needed."

"Nope." She answered again but this time with suspicion in her tone.

She broke in before he could speak again catching him off guard. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How many unexpected visits, concerned phone calls from the team have you received?"

He held his answer trying to decipher the direction she was heading. Uncertain he replied, "a few calls. You're actually the only person that has ever just dropped by unannounced."

"Uh huh." He could hear the annoyance in her voice.

"What is that?" He asked confused.

"Nothing, it's just interesting."

He couldn't say anything. In her subtle almost nonverbal subtext she had a point. Maybe because the team had experienced a tragedy with him they knew to a point how to respond. No one really knew how to help Emily, him included.

"I'm not calling you to talk about me." He said abruptly.

"Okay, then tell me, why did you call?"

"I told you. To see how you were doing."

"Right." Silence, then in a disconnected voice she continued, "I'm great."

"Emily." He said with disbelief.

There was only silence on the other end. He only knew she was still there because he could hear her breathing.

"Emily." He said again. Then after a pause spoke with more calmness than he felt. "You have to stop punishing yourself."

"I'm not punishing myself."

"I know of the visits in the hospital when you thought I was asleep." He tried to swallow the words as they escaped. He held his breath as he waited for her reaction.

He heard an almost silent gasp on the other end. He knew his timing was bad but her lack of communication was getting to him. He needed her to respond with something, anything.

He got one when she finally spoke quietly and coolly, but could no longer hide the hurt in her voice. "Why didn't you say anything?"

The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain. He didn't have a response, but mostly because he didn't want to explain on the phone. This was a conversation he wanted to happen in person.

He began to apologize but the silence on the other end felt different. He stopped talking and pulled the phone from his ear and stared at the blank screen. There was no running timer or Emily's name. He let out a deep sigh; she had hung up on him. He would let it settle for the night and try to see her in the morning. If they didn't face it now he feared it would pull her under deeper and lose any chance to really put it behind them.

* * *

Even through the phone she knew he saw that her defenses were failing. She couldn't allow it. She looked at her cell once again; she had hung up on him in her panic. He didn't call back, but she knew that first thing in the morning he would be on her doorstep. She panicked again and hastily picked up the landline from the cradle. It was late but she took the chance.

"Ms. Prentiss?" He had picked up before the second ring. "Everything okay?"

Emily spoke quickly but controlled, "everything's fine Noah, thanks. Are you busy?"

"I'm never busy for you, what do you need?"

"A ride, but it has to be under strict confidence. No one, no matter how they might push, can know."

"Of course, you can always trust me."

Emily felt her smile at his kind voice. "I know, that's why I called you."

"I'm on my way."

"Thank you." She replied and hung up.

Emily looked up the stairs and thought better of climbing them. She really didn't need anything where she was going. She set the hand carved cane Spencer had given her against the foot of the stairs. She decided to fight the pain and walk on her own. She glanced back at it and guilt washed over her. He needed it just as much as she did but his sweet mind thought of her. She couldn't return what everyone needed, not yet anyway. A part of her wondered if she ever could. She couldn't allow them to see her fall. She realized that she was reacting and not thinking but it was the last amount of control she had.

She knew she needed them and pushed away because she couldn't handle the attention. Facing her demons in front of them made her feel too vulnerable. She ran because that was all she knew. Fear was closing her off to letting go. She saw that Aaron was ready to face what they needed to do together, but she wasn't. She was running because he saw her weakness. She needed time to allow a part of her structure to be rebuilt so she could face what she needed on something sturdy. Right then her foundation was quickly eroding, threatening to crumble to ruins with a single tear.

She moved over to the drawer by the sink and began rummaging through it. Finally finding the object she was looking for she shut the drawer. She leaned against the counter and rolled the round magnet in her hand. She blew out a breath as she placed it on the door of her refrigerator. Her hand lingered and she stared at the impressionistic landscape painting of a background. She traced her fingers over the lettering and knew he would see it and understand what she needed.

A loud rap on the door snapped her back. It was Noah signaling his arrival. She glanced once more to her cell and keys on the bar. She didn't need them, she could use the spare when she decided to return and definitely didn't need her car. She wiped her eyes of any remaining tears and put her most convincing mask firmly in place before she opened the door. Without a single glance back she passed through the door as quickly as her unsupported legs would allow and shut it tight behind her.

* * *

_Ooh so what does the magnet mean? Who is Noah? Only a few more chapters and it will all be wrapped up!_

_Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review or comment!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Onto the last two chapters! Thank you so much for the reviews and support it means a lot! This story has been fun to write and so glad its been enjoyed!_

_Happy Reading! _

* * *

The fact that Emily was not answering his calls alarmed Aaron. He knew she was upset at their late night conversation, but for her to not at least acknowledge him was worrisome. He made the decision to just show up on her doorstep wanted or not. He stood in front of her door for what felt like an eternity. Each knock echoed through the hall around him, but yielded no response from within. He finally pulled out his phone to call and when heard her familiar ring tone on the other side he felt the need to act. His gut was telling him something was wrong. She was stubborn, but at some point she would get sick of the persistence and confront him.

He turned and debated what his next move should be. As he spun a door straight across from Emily's opened enough to expose the woman he knew had been watching. He had noticed that her door had been open a crack since he started knocking. He made eye contact with the older blonde woman poking her head out.

"She hasn't come home yet." She spoke out in a matter of fact tone.

Aaron crossed his arms and tilted his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Excited for a response she widened the door and filled the frame of the doorway. She stood in a worn light blue terry cloth bathrobe and had her hair still in curlers. She gripped her coffee cup and studied Aaron. After taking a sip from her mug she gestured towards Emily's door.

"Some guy I had never seen before took her. Thought it was strange since it was so late and she never has many people over." She looked up in thought. "Well besides that good lookin' dark man, and her girlfriends. But even then they aren't around much. Neither is she come to think of it."

Ignoring the comments about the team he jumped to her choice of wording. "What do you mean took her?"

"Big guy, pretty good looking too, a little older than you, maybe." She took another sip holding the gossip wanting to spill out of her lips. "I could only see out my peep hole but he had a grip on her and she looked like she was crying."

Aaron was skeptical what she could have seen through the distorted glass.

Emily had been upset but the man was a mystery. Nothing was making sense.

"You're sure it was Ms. Prentiss?"

"Oh that I am." She said with a wide smile.

"Okay, thanks." Aaron tried to smile but he was too worried. He thought maybe if she was taken against her will there would be a sign of a struggle inside. He tried to think rationally, but couldn't and found himself rapping on the manager's door.

He flashed his badge and calmly explained the simple reason to let him in Prentiss' apartment. She didn't hesitate and disappeared briefly to retrieve the key. She squeezed out of her door and led them back to Emily's.

"I appreciate you taking the time." Aaron smiled to the small round woman shuffling next to him.

She stopped in front of the door. "Sure thing." She spoke back as she inserted the key into the lock and turned the bolt.

"Is she in some kinda of trouble?" The neighbor pried. She looked on greedy for some return gossip.

"No," Aaron answered tightly and cautiously walked into the apartment.

He strolled around but there was no tell tale sign of where she could be or have gone. Her phone and keys were the only items on the bar. The rest of the space was orderly and organized, the only thing out of place was a blanket unfolded and left in the corner of the couch. He noted that to be where she had been sleeping. He glanced to the stairs and debated checking, but couldn't leave not knowing for sure. He slowly and painfully climbed them. When his search on the second floor yielded nothing he became more baffled to where she was and what she was doing. As he slowly made his way back down he ran over in his head who the man could be and why Emily would leave with him.

He headed back towards the door to leave when he saw it. There on the smooth stainless steel finish of the refrigerator was his answer, a small round magnet. He peeled it off and examined it briefly before pocketing it. He felt some relief to his discovery, but it was not a comforting answer. She had run. She ran from the prying eyes and endless concerned questions. He worried because he knew that soon she would realize she couldn't run from herself. He would let her be but not for too long. He was going to make an appearance and they were going to face the monster together.

* * *

JJ groaned and rolled over to face the phone that refused to stop chiming. Not interested in answering her first instinct was to silence it. Thinking twice she tilted the face up to view who was disturbing her one chance to sleep in on a Saturday.

Releasing her irritation with a sigh she answered. "This better be good."

"You need to get to Emily's apartment!" Garcia half screamed.

JJ shot up at her tone. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Something bad has happened I know it. I have this feeling and she isn't responding."

"Slow down!" All the horrifying possibilities filled her mind. "What do you mean she's not responding?"

"Well for one she's not here!"

JJ frowned deeply. "Seriously?! That's all you have is that she's not there?"

"Okay look, I felt bad for not making it to lunch so decided to surprise her with some breakfast."

"And?" JJ asked in irritation.

"And, why did I try to call and got nothing, but heard her phone going off inside?"

JJ rubbed her eyes trying to keep calm. "Maybe she's sleeping or forgot her phone, or is just ignoring it."

"Fine, you can be skeptical all you want but I'm worried. A lot of shit has happened and I'm just scared. Please Jayje."

JJ sighed again she knew this was a battle not worth fighting. "Fine, but be prepared for the wrath of Prentiss if you're wrong."

"Thank you."

Garcia had a wary smile as stood by Emily's apartment anxious for the blonde to open the door and reveal the mystery that lay beyond it.

JJ knocked and called into the door for Emily. When there was no answer she hesitated then knocked again.

"Don't you think I've been doing that the whole time?" Garcia said in with clear impatience.

JJ was about to comment when a movement behind her took her attention. She caught a glimpse of the neighbor Emily deemed Nosy Nancy, but once she knew she was compromised the door shut tight. JJ disregarded her and turned back to the matter at hand. She went over the scenario. Emily's car was still there, her phone obviously still in the apartment, and she was not answering the door. She couldn't deny her concern and reluctantly gave in. Carefully she inserted the key and opened the door. She scanned the entrance and beyond. Not to her surprise it was orderly and clean. Nothing appeared out of place.

"Emily?" She called out. "Are you here?"

Silence.

Garcia moved swiftly past her. "See look, her phone and keys. Why would she leave her keys?"

"Garcia!" She warned. She just waited to see an infuriated brunette round the corner. She wouldn't be surprised if they were met first by the barrel of her gun.

"Jayje, why are you not seeing the severity of the situation? Emily needs us."

"What are you getting at?" The blonde asked in her growing impatience. "Why do you insist that something happened to her? Maybe she's upstairs."

"No she was sleeping on the couch because it was a lot of effort up and down the stairs."

"How did you-" JJ stopped and shook her head, "never mind."

Penelope continued her investigating and opened the fridge. "None of the food that was brought over has been touched."

JJ moved to the bottom of the stairs and looked up. Her eyes went back to the worried Analyst. Of course she was concerned but her last conversation with Emily made it clear that she had to sort herself out before she could allow anyone back in. It hurt but she expected nothing less.

She listened for any sounds coming from above her, but there was nothing. With her back to the wall she ascended the stairs. She kept her elbows tight to her waist and hand resting on her gun. Once to the top she listened again for anything, a shower maybe, but in the back of her mind knew better. She peaked into each room, each one clear. She walked back to the master bedroom. None of the rooms looked as if they had been used. The bed was neatly made, not even a wrinkle from someone sitting on the edge.

"Anything out of place?"

The whispered voice interrupted her thoughts and she jumped, "damn it Garcia."

"Sorry."

"No," she said walking over and peering into the closet. "Her go-bag is still here. I can't tell if any clothes are missing." She suddenly felt like an intruder and straightened up.

"This isn't right, we should go."

"What?!" Penelope asked in a defiant shock.

"I think we should just leave it. If Emily walked in right now and saw us don't you think she'd lose it?"

"We are just concerned friends." Garcia insisted.

"Emily Prentiss is a very private person, you know that. I'm not saying don't make sure she's okay, but snooping will not go over well. There has to be a very logical reason she's not here."

"With all the bad stuff we see and what happened how could anything be logical?

JJ just shook her head and moved back down the stairs. She made a beeline to the door. Passing the bar her eyes took in the cell phone and keys again. Whether she wanted to admit it or not something felt off.

Taking another glance to the persistent Analyst she picked up the cell phone and scrolled through the recent call log. "You called her twenty five times?"

Penelope just shrugged, unashamed of her actions.

She noticed the calls before Garcia's frantic redials were from Hotch. He had called her a few times already that morning. The last answered call was from him the night before. She thought the late hour to be strange, but Emily had answered and it lasted nine minutes. Maybe Hotch knew something. She set down Emily's phone and retrieved hers to call Aaron. She was disappointed when there was no answer. She didn't hesitate to leave a message.

"Hey Hotch, sorry to call so early. I'm with Penelope and we're at Emily's." As she spoke she pointed to the objects on the bar. "Her car, keys, and phone are here, but she's not. We're a little worried. I thought maybe you would know where she is. Please call me back, thanks."

JJ ended the call and shrugged. She didn't know what else to do or check. The only other was the landline. She rationalized that she had violated Emily's privacy enough already that one more offense was acceptable. She then lifted the phone from the cradle to examine it. She looked to Penelope who followed her movements carefully. She first checked the recent calls but the numbers were not telling. She then pressed redial unsure who she would encounter on the other line. But it went directly to a voicemail.

"Noah Carter?" She said out loud as she placed the phone back to its home. "Has Emily ever mentioned anyone by that name?"

"No, but I will find everything out about him."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"What do you mean, not a good idea?"

JJ disregarded the question. "Maybe Hotch knows more."

Not giving Penelope a chance to argue she pressed her shoulder and directed her towards the door. "We'll just have to wait until he calls me back."

Before it was opened the bottle redhead resisted the pressure and stopped their progress. She turned herself to fully face JJ. "How is Hotch just okay and she isn't?"

JJ arms dropped to her side. "Who said Hotch was?"

Garcia just shrugged and JJ peered sideways to her friend. "You understand what happened in that house, right?"

"Yeah I do, but I just want everyone back."

JJ continued forcing the two of them out of the apartment to lock it up. "I know, but reality may not dictate that."

* * *

The steel doors opened and Morgan stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor of the BAU. He examined the urgent text from Penelope. It was the sixth he had received since he woke up that morning. He sighed as he snapped his phone closed. She had called frantic after her and JJ's visit to Emily's. He had done his best to talk her down, but once off with her he immediately called JJ. She didn't want to lie and say she was comfortable with their findings but she wasn't going to completely freak out until she spoke to Hotch.

Everyone felt the uneasiness, but no one talked about it. They all stepped up to do their jobs even though there were two gaping holes in the team. Penelope showed her emotions so clearly, and how much it was affecting her. His words did little to soothe her. All he could hope for was when Aaron and Emily returned all things would once again be righted.

His phone vibrated again and when he saw Garcia's name it became clear that she was on a quest. To what end he was not sure.

He cautiously entered her lair. "I got your message, what's up?"

Her body did not budge from the computer screen she was fixated on, but began to speak. "So I checked all her credit cards and the sneaky girl must be using cash."

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked looking over her shoulder to get a better view.

"Emily." She replied plainly. "Then I checked out the guy, Noah Carter and-"

"Whoa whoa baby girl what are you doing?"

"I'm checking."

"Checking what?"

Sighing heavily she continued with the information she had. "Noah Carter has been the Prentiss' family driver for the last twenty five years."

"And?"

"And that was the last call Emily made before she vanished."

"Vanished?" Derek asked with some hesitation. Of course he was concerned, more than he would like to admit, but felt the need to be rational.

"No one has heard from her in two days." She said and finally turned to face him. "When was the last time you saw her?"

Derek thought about it but took the unreturned phone calls all as standard procedure after their heated argument a few days earlier. He had planned to let her cool a little more before trying again.

He tried to continue to play his rational role even if he was starting to feel the panic well up in him even more. "You're making it sound like something bad happened to her."

"Derek Morgan something bad did happen to her. Why does everyone want to just pretend it didn't?"

"No one is ignoring anything, but until she wants our help we have to respect that."

"I don't accept that, and I know for a fact neither do you!"

Taken aback at her on point observation he crossed his arms in defense and staggered his footing preparing for what was coming. "Okay, so you find her and then what?"

"I don't know."

Derek shook his head.

She spun her chair away from him back to her computer screen that displayed the information of her target. "I called this Noah driver guy and he played dumb. I couldn't threaten the guy enough."

"Penelope stop." Derek said and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He's not going to tell you anything. That's why she called him, she doesn't want us to know where she is."

She snapped her head back to get a better view of him. Disbelief was written all over her face. "And you're just okay with this?"

"Not at all, but it's pretty clear."

"Well, I'm not okay with it. I need to know she's okay."

"If I can get you an answer will you stop digging and threatening ultimate doom on people?"

"Yes! Oh most defiantly yes!"

"Okay."

As he turned he tried to figure out how he was going to accomplish that goal. Derek reached for the handle of the door when it began to swing open stopping him. He then leaned back as JJ poked her head in.

She took a quick look around the room. "We need everyone in the roundtable room."

"Do we have a case?"

JJ shook her head. "No, it's about Emily."

Confused and concerned the two hurriedly followed the blonde back down the hall, into the bullpen and towards the conference room. As they broke the doorway they saw Hotch standing in front of the screen. His arms crossed, and his face was serious but not in his usual stern nature. He was dressed casual, wearing blue jeans and an untucked navy polo, and even hint of stubble was present. He patiently followed the movement of the last few individuals walking in.

Penelope jumped in right away as everyone settled into the room. "Oh sir! How are you? Are you back? How are you feeling?"

He gave a thin smile to her rapid-fire questions but directed everyone to sit down.

"I know how tough the last month has been on everyone and all of you have come back stronger. The work you have done reflects it." He then gestured to Derek. "Morgan has kept me updated on the cases, but that's not why I'm here."

"We know." Garcia chimed in. "What's going on with Emily?"

"I understand everyone's concern for myself and Emily. I appreciate it and know she does as well."

"Is she okay? Where is she?" Garcia hounded.

"She's safe." He answered calmly, but the words had a bite to them. He then directed his next statement to Penelope. "The searching and threatening people stops now."

"Sir I was just-"

Aaron shook his head and put up a hand to stop her. "I get that you think what you're doing is right, but she took herself out of the picture for a reason. We all need to respect that."

Garcia sat up a little straighter her eyes narrowing to the Unit Chief. "So for her to be alone to deal with the nightmares, pain and horror by herself is what she needs?"

JJ placed a hand on the analyst and quietly explained, "no, but she doesn't know any other way to deal, so we have to let her."

Garcia shook her head and looked around the room to everyone. "I still don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, you just have to accept it for now." Spencer said clearing his throat.

Derek knew exactly what Penelope was feeling. He didn't want to accept it and knew no one else did either. He decided to speak up for everyone.

"Hotch, what's really going on here? Did she tell you where she was going?"

"No." Was all he answered.

"Then how the hell do you know that she's okay?"

"Morgan, you're just going to have to trust me."

He was pissed now. He could feel it and was not going to hold back. "That's it? She up and disappears, but somehow you know she's safe? If you don't know where she is, then how the hell do you know she's okay?"

"Something's we just have to let be."

Derek's jaw clenched and felt his blood boil a little more. He felt like was going outburst. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know where Emily was, the vague answers Hotch gave, or the fact that he couldn't help her. He flexed his hands into tight fists but gave up the battle and stalked out. It wasn't the time or the place. If he hadn't heard anything in two days max, he was going to visit this Noah guy himself.

Rossi watched everyone tentatively leave then rapped his hands on the table before he rose. He placed his hands on the top of the chair and slowly pushed it in. "So, how long are you going to give her before you drop by?"

Aaron looked curiously to Dave. "A few days, but probably not as much as she wants."

* * *

_I know I didn't explain the magnet completely but it will be made clear in the next chapter. We will also have the very important talk between Hotch and Prentiss. So hang on because it's coming very soon!_

_Thank you for reading!_

_Don't forget to let me know what you thought! Review box is right below!_


	21. Chapter 21

_I am soo sorry for the delay but here it is, the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it! Thank you for the reviews and constant support it really has meant a lot to me!_

_Now a side note. I'm not sure but I may have jumped a little into AU territory with this chapter, but they never went into what Hotch did with his time after Haley died, so this could have happened. ;)_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

_Hotch blew at the steam that drifted up from the bowl of macaroni and cheese to cool it before he set down in front of Jack. He smiled down to his son as he greedily dug in. He was about to sit next to him and start in on his own lunch when a knock stopped him. He pushed his chair back in and smiled to the eagerly curious Jack before heading to the door._

_His hand lingered on the chain and looked curiously through the peephole. He became somewhat surprised at who stood patiently on the other side. After releasing the chain and bolt he then turned the nob to greet his visitor._

"_Prentiss?" _

"_Sir," she said and stood up a bit straighter then smiled at him, "sorry for just dropping by."_

_Aaron moved the door open wider to allow her access and smiled back. "No, it's fine. Come in."_

"_Thank you," she nodded to him and ducked through the doorway._

_He watched Jack jump from his seat to greet the brunette. "Careful he's probably covered in cheese." _

"_Hi!" Jack called out and approached her with his arms stretched out._

_Emily happily received the generous hug from the young Hotchner and smiled brightly back up to Aaron. "Is there any other way to be?"_

_He just shook his head and smiled. "I guess not." _

_He then leaned down to his level and pointed to the table, "why don't you go finish eating while I talk with Miss Prentiss, okay?"_

"_Okay," Jack replied and skipped back to the table._

_Emily watched him for a second then turned back to Hotch. "How's he doing?"_

_Aaron moved around to the couch and she followed his lead to sit. "He's doing better. The nightmares have decreased. He does keep asking when I'm going back to fight the bad guys."_

_Her eyes became curious and face asked the same question. "What do you tell him?"_

"_I tell him that he is my first priority, and everything else can wait."_

_He watched for a reaction but was not surprised that there was no look of shock or disappointment. She just smiled softly in complete understanding._

"_So what can I do for you?"_

"_Oh, right," she half laughed, "sorry. I had been thinking of you two a lot lately. And-" she stopped in almost un unnatural discomfort. _

_She intertwined her fingers in her lap and continued. "My family has a beach house on The Outer Banks. I'm the only one that ever uses it. I found it a nice place to escape to; and-" she stopped again and glanced back to Jack. "Just thought I would offer it to you and Jack."_

_Aaron silently stared at Emily taking in the offer. "I appreciate it. Maybe after he gets comfortable here."_

_Emily nodded and rose. "Of course whatever you need. It's open ended."_

_Aaron stood with her and looked back to Jack scrapping his bowl clean. "Did you want to stay for lunch, there's plenty of mac and cheese."_

"_Oh that's quite the tempting offer," she chuckled and took a quick look at her watch, "but I really should be getting back."_

_He accepted her answer and followed her to the door. After their brief goodbye he shut the door and stood in silence. He looked to his son and thought what real time alone would do for them. His hand tapped absentmindedly on the wood, the option of beach house became more inviting._

* * *

Aaron walked along the wooden planks that bridged the sandy dune and led to a small-railed structure and stairs that dropped to the beach below. He glanced out briefly to the vast ocean that filled the background before he turned back and scanned the large patio connected to the house he hoped she would be found at. Finding it empty he moved his attention over to the waist high grasses that enveloped the sandbank. There was nothing but the worn track created from the foot traffic that had travelled to and from the beach.

Hotch continued to stroll towards the stairs and paused at the top to survey the almost empty beach. Not far down the slope he spotted her. Tucked in tight at the base of the hill she sat swallowed by a large beach chair. He could tell she was lost in thought. Pages of an unattended book sitting in her lap turned and flapped with the ocean breeze. Her right arm hung loosely over the side of the chair. Thin fingers circled the rim of an untouched glass of red wine that had been nestled securely in the golden sand.

The sun was falling quickly behind them stretching the shadows out. The fading light sparkled on the water like diamonds, and the constant breeze quickly cooled the early evening. With a slight shiver she pulled the thin shawl she had draped over her shoulders tighter around herself, but her eyes never left the rhythmic crashing of the waves. He wondered if she felt the ocean give the same sense of calm that it had given him. He looked from the brunette out to where she was staring and began to move down one careful step at a time.

Reaching the bottom he turned and tried not to kick up too much sand as he took strides towards her.

* * *

_Aaron and Jack strolled down the concrete walk hand in hand. The sun glowed in the background and the warm air swirled around them. Jack hummed happily to himself clutching his money tightly in his other hand. His head was on a swivel trying to keep up with the passing shops. Each teased his eye and begged him to enter and find the perfect treasure; that special one that he could not live without. After the third store with souvenirs littering the display window he stopped._

"_Dad, can we just go in a look?" He asked giving his best puppy dog eyes. _

_Aaron looked through the window and back down to his son. "Sure, the ice cream will still be there."_

_Jack's smile widened and released his hand from Aaron's and bolted inside. He quickly maneuvered around an elderly man pushing the large glass door open._

"_Excuse us." Hotch apologized as the man adjusted his feet to steady himself from the blonde head that had darted past._

_Chuckling to himself the man turned to face Aaron. "Well, there are a lot of exciting things in there."_

_Aaron nodded and hurried in to catch up with Jack._

_Jack strolled around the small shop with his hands behind his back and a serious look of determination plastered on his face. He carefully looked at each sea inspired statue, painting, and artwork. He glanced quickly at the baskets of toys and stuffed animals. He slowly moved away and began spin the tall cardholder pretending to be fascinated in the bright photographs on the post cards._

_Seeing the disinterest forming in Jack, Aaron leaned down. "Don't settle for anything. You don't have to spend your money."_

"_I know." He responded with a disappointed sigh. His eyes continued to search. He looked to the check out counter and a sudden flair of excitement hit him. In an instant he was standing below a small turntable next to the cashier. Jack strained to his tiptoes and once successful in pulling the desired object down he turned back. _

"_This is perfect." He smiled brightly._

_Aaron looked at the small round magnet filling Jack's hand. It had bright colors of the ocean painted in the background with a white seagull in the sky, the letter OBX written over the entire scene. It didn't seem particularly spectacular to anything else the shop had. He became confused to why Jack would want that over the kites or toys crowding the corner of the shop._

"_It sure is nice. What made you pick that?"_

"_Cause she will love it."_

"_Who?"_

"_Miss Prentiss." He examined the treasure closely. "It looks like what we see."_

_Hotch playfully ruffled his hair. "Yes she will." _

_Aaron then took a small step back to watch his son proudly stand tall and set the magnet on the counter along side his money._

_Aaron smiled thinking how his son was wiser than his years. He swelled with pride at the selfless act and meaningful gesture he was doing. Aaron fully understood what Emily had done for them, and saw Jack got it too. She offered a place to get away from the everyday pain that the reality of what was lost constantly played in front of them. They could take each moment to grow closer and heal a little faster. _

_As they left and continued their stroll to their original destination Aaron watched Jack clutch the brown bag tight to his chest. His face filled with anticipation to give his gift. It left Aaron wishing he had something to give Emily, to sincerely thank her, but felt nothing would suffice._

* * *

Aaron wandered up to Emily and paused next to her. She glanced sideways towards him then back out to the sea. It was obvious that she was not surprised to see him. After a moment he wordlessly sat down in the sand. He pulled his knees up and let his arms rest across them in a casual position. He didn't look to her and joined her in staring out to the darkening water. She fidgeted uncomfortable but remained quiet, and he decided to give her some time to adjust to his presence.

The breeze picked up sending a chill over Aaron, and with it he finally looked to Emily. The mild gust caused her raven hair to swirl around her face and she fought the unruly strands. He smiled at her mild irritation as she forcefully tucked them behind her ears.

He leaned forward a bit but spoke out to the sea. "Jack says that the wind is caused from the waves crashing."

"Sounds logical to me." She responded quietly still not turning to face him.

There was silence again and they watched another set rise and fall. When the last wave curled on itself he began to count the small swells that would inevitable lead to the next set. He had decided that when the next arrived he would break the quiet. He had not made it to three before she spoke up. Her voice was almost lost in the wind, coming out in a quiet whisper as if she was simply speaking to herself.

"Do you ever feel like the sand that is drawn away from the shore?"

"How's that?" He asked somewhat puzzled.

She lifted her arm and pointed to the scenery in front of them. "The sand lays there careless and free, but once made wet by the water each grain clings to each other like they know what's coming." She paused as the new set rolled in and loudly made its presence known.

She sighed lightly and continued. "They are sucked out with the pull of the building water and with a single crash they are violently separated and tumbled in a churning chaos. Their destination is now unknown. They're ultimately alone and are just hoping when the spinning stops they can find a calm spot to remain."

He was looking at her now, intently invested in her words. In that analogy she spoke more openly about what she was struggling with than anything she had said in the last month. He approached her carefully not to lose the hold on the opening door. "I thought that the reason you came here was to relax."

She simply shook her head. "No, I do. I was just thinking that no matter where I am I always seem to find the darkness, in everything."

Aaron nodded in understanding to her words. "It could only be expected with what we do."

"I know that, and I've always been able to keep a grasp on it, control it."

He was more than aware that Emily's compartmentalizing skills were quite impressive. She effortlessly tucked all the horrors away and remained a sturdy structure. It was however a double-edged sword. It made her the amazing agent she was, but was also her Achilles' heel. She was too stubborn and prideful to ask for help when the boxes became too full and the locks no longer kept the darkness and evil secured. She had now reached that point. It was understandable with what they had endured with Reyes. Aaron knew she would put it all on herself and felt that he needed to step in. He wasn't going to allow her to suffer in silence.

"It will take time." Aaron said then stopped not wanting to sound cliché but knew it was the simple truth. "You will be stronger for it."

"Are you?" She asked plainly.

"What?"

"Stronger?"

Aaron paused. Was he? Had Haley's death made him stronger, or more vigilant, protective, and paranoid? Though Emily knew he wouldn't admit it if it hadn't, but she was sincere in her query. It was almost a hopeful question; that if he could come out stronger then so could she.

"Yeah, I believe that I have." He finally answered.

She looked at him searching his eyes for a flicker of untruth, but when she found none she nodded and returned her gaze to the sea.

The thoughtful silence returned. Aaron wondered what was going through her head, and took a chance that if he opened up more she might continue to. He cleared his throat before the words tumbled out.

"Reyes made me realize that I wasn't in control, and it really put my trust in others to the test."

He stopped briefly when Emily turned to him and her eyes begged him to continue.

"I won't deny that there were moments that I thought I would never see Jack again. Then I realized who was in the trenches with me."

Emily just stared at him. Her face twisted in a failed attempt to control her emotions, but mostly her disbelief in his statement.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"At the hospital, why didn't you say anything if you knew I was there?"

He examined her before he answered curious to her direction. Although it wasn't what he expected there was no surprise that the question was her sidestepping the inevitable.

"Rossi told me," Aaron answered simply and swiped at his pants to remove the bits of sand that had collected. He then wiped his hands free off the remaining grains. "I really didn't know. I just figured you had your reasons."

She wordlessly shook her head. Aaron took the silence to add an important point. "You know that no one expects you to magically be okay, you shouldn't expect it from yourself either."

She turned her head again to avoid revealing her reaction to his words. "And somehow you seem to be magically okay, or is this how you hide?"

"Meaning?" Aaron asked tilting his head to make an attempt at eye contact.

She brought her head around and locked eyes with him. "Redirect what you're struggling with to me. Make me all better and you can avoid dealing with yourself."

She had a point he knew, and it was clear they were more alike then either would like to admit. He believed that he was there for her so she could heal, but deep down knew he needed it just as much.

"Just like you are doing now." He challenged.

Emily huffed in irritation. "What are you wanting to accomplish here?"

"I don't know really," he answered honestly. "I know the wounds won't heal overnight, but you can't avoid facing it, it will just become worse."

"Hmmm," was all she responded and pulled her shawl tightly around herself like she was trying to secure her failing walls.

* * *

_Emily dragged herself into the BAU bullpen. The turn around time on the cases were beginning to take its toll on everyone. The evil out there must have known they were down one crucial man. With that thought she took a glance to Hotch's empty office. The unnatural vacancy of it still dug at her. He would come back she knew, but each day that passed felt like his return was further away. She had not spoken to him since he had accepted her offer for the beach house. She was excited that he decided to take it, and knew it would be great for bonding for him and Jack._

_As she headed to her desk she saw Reid sitting in his chair staring blankly at the coffee he was continually stirring. She was about to make a comment when a small box sat blindingly out of place by a stack of files._

_Curious she looked at it and to the small envelope that sat underneath it. She turned back to Spencer. Her arrival had caught his attention and he was now looking at her._

"_Do you know who left this?" She asked._

_He shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "No, but I bet if you opened the card you would find out."_

"_Thanks, smartass," she huffed._

"_What?" He asked with honest confusion to her sarcastic remark._

_She only shook her head with a smile and tore into the card. She examined the hand drawn dog on the front with disproportioned letters forming a "thank you."_

_She smiled as she opened the folded paper. A big heart occupied the inside with 'Jack' written in all capitals. _

_Emily let out a small laugh at how thoughtful the card was. She picked up the small box and before she opened it looked back to Reid who was now fully engaged in what she was doing._

"_Can I help you?"_

"_Nope," he mumbled under his breath, and then quickly looked away. His face turned a few shades of red as he sipped the coffee._

_She sat down in her chair and took another glance to Aaron's office. She hesitated, unsure she wanted a gift. She started to feel uncomfortable; she didn't want thanks for something she didn't think twice about. The beach house had been a place she could escape to, feel safe, to actually think and regroup. _

_Holding the box low in her lap she opened it as if everyone around was hovering to see. She stopped when the small round object presented itself among the rumpled tissue paper. She pulled it out and examined the painting and lettering. She smiled and laughed. _

"_Perfect," she said quietly._

_Without a single thought she dug her cell phone out from her purse, and then rose from her chair to find some privacy. Taking a glance around she knew her best bet was to go to the round table room. As she climbed the few stairs and walked across the catwalk she pressed Aaron's speed dial._

_After his greeting Emily spoke; her smile translated clearly in her voice. "Your son has good taste."_

"_Better than mine I have to say."_

"_You're not giving yourself enough credit." Emily countered and leaned against the table spinning the magnet through her fingers. _

_He just chuckled on the other end, then paused. "Thank you."_

_She stopped her movement and allowed her words to hold a serious tone._

"_I'm glad you went."_

"_Us too." He said abruptly and almost uncomfortably. "Did you want to speak to him?"_

"_I'd love to." Emily said and smiled imagining Jack's excitement._

_After a brief silence and the sound of shuffling an eager voice picked up._

"_Miss Prentiss?"_

"_Hi Jack."_

"_Did you get it?"_

"_I sure did, and you know it's the best gift I have ever gotten."_

"_Really?"_

"_Really, it's perfect."_

"_I knew it." His voice drifted away from the speaker as he spoke to his dad, "I told you."_

_The shuffling and static of the phone changing hands was back. _

"_You just made his day."_

_Emily shook her head in disagreement. "No, he completely made mine."_

"_Good." Then after a short pause he spoke. "Thank you again."_

"_Of course." Emily said and ended the call. She remained on the edge of the table and stared at the magnet. Any negative thoughts she may have had coming into the office had left her mind._

* * *

Emily looked back out to the sky losing the battle with the setting sun. Streaks of reds and oranges overtook the remaining blue desperately trying to hold on. She held the silence not giving any more of a response to Aaron. He decided to dive in and let her wade her way through and hopefully they would come out on top.

"You have to realize you're worthy of forgiveness. Not from me or Kelly or his other victims but from yourself."

She blew out a heavy breath and her head swayed slightly. She didn't speak and held her words by chewing on her bottom lip. Aaron was in no rush to force her to speak and allowed her to sit in silence.

She finally answered the words seemed to catch in her throat. "I know, it just, I can't help but feel he's getting what he wanted."

"Don't let him." Aaron said firmly.

Emily sighed and pressed her head back against he chair. "We survived, I get it. It just feels like some days are good because they aren't bad ones."

"We more that survived we won."

Emily gave a half smile but grunted her disbelief to his statement.

Aaron had enough. "No. You won't do this."

"What?" She asked in confusion, but tensed in defense.

"I won't allow it." He said more decisively.

Emily sat straight up in the chair and turned to fully face him. The anger beginning to flair in her eyes, "damn it, what are you talking about?"

"You did nothing wrong Emily, you have to understand that. He will be in your head until you can see it."

Emily didn't say anything and sat back again.

He knew she was listening and continued even though she refused to face him. "Every time I look at Jack I think of what Foyet took away from him."

Her head rolled towards him and lifted slightly. Satisfied he grasped her full attention he continued. "I had promised Haley that I would spend the rest of my life making it up to her. I know I can't take it back or change it, but I know that at least Jack is safe now. I will do everything I can to give him the life he deserves."

It was then that it hit her like the wave pounding on the shoreline. The cracks gave way and he saw the wall fall. Her dark eyes welled with tears and with each blink they slowly descended her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away but the task was futile, all she could do was turn away and try to hide.

"Emily?"

She didn't answer and kept herself as distant as she could but the tears began to form into silent sobs she could no longer control.

Aaron shifted to his knees and reached over to the arm of the chair and placed a supportive hand on hers. "Talk to me," he pleaded.

She pulled her arm back and used her hand to cover her mouth and try to stifle the agony that was overflowing. He wanted to reach out for her again and bring her in for support, but held back unsure to how she'd respond. He patiently waited, but felt some relief she had allowed herself to release some of the pain. He knew she would be embarrassed for such a display, but he was ready to reassure her in no way that she was weak.

After a few shaky breaths she gained partial control and looked up to the sky. When she spoke her tone had changed and the words were clearly saturated with the emotions she had been holding in for so long.

"All I could think was I was that I wasn't strong enough. I felt weak and helpless to stop him. I just wanted him to kill me if it meant saving you. But knew that was an easy out and he wouldn't allow it."

She sniffed again and wiped her nose. "This is the torture he was looking to accomplish."

"What?"

"This, and Jack. The thought of him losing you was unbearable."

"But he didn't. You fought and we made it. Now it's time to let the guilt go."

She shook her head and continued to wipe the rebellious tears that escaped. "How?" The whispered word came out almost inaudible.

He strained to hear her but understood the meaning. He watched her stare into the darkness her face drawn and sadness swirling in her dark eyes. The sun had descended and no longer offered any heat, yet they continued to sit in the growing cold as if a punishment they deserved. The sky had darkened more and the whitewash from the waves was all that was visible in front of them. Neither of them spoke of the uncomfortably frigid environment. Emily tucked further into the chair and Aaron sat back down and pushed a pile of sand in front of him with his legs. He then leaned back on his arms before taking in a breath.

"Time." Aaron finally said.

"I know." She automatically responded and let her head dip down. She rubbed her brow and failed to tuck the errand strands behind her ears as they immediately fluttered back in front of her face.

"I forgive you."

"What?" She asked in shock.

"Is that what you need? Not that I believe there is anything to forgive, but if it is then I'll say it again."

"No," she chuckled lightly under her breath. "But I get it. Thank you."

"For what."

She shook her head and softly smiled at him, "for this."

He smiled back; they had surfaced.

* * *

_Epilogue_

_The moment Emily realized she was a step closer to healing was when she felt herself laugh and not feel guilty about it. It took her seeing the others reaction for her to realize the genuine smile on her face._

___When she had come into the office using the cane Reid had given her he was overjoyed that she had accepted the gift. They compared injuries and she let him ramble on about scar tissue and healing rates. _Reid had spent time to give her the run down of Reyes case. He did what he knew best and gave facts. She listened intently to him and saw the sparkle in his eye at her dedicated attention. Emily thought of the victims and though they may have done some wrong in their lives no one deserved to face what Thomas forced upon them. She felt some comfort that they the families had some closure to the ones they lost and hopefully the victims could rest in peace.

_ He seemed to be the quickest fix for her. He was so fast to move on and just try and be at the place they had before the nightmare began, and that more than worked for her._

_Although her and JJ rarely entered the field together they had an unspoken feeling that they had to prove that they could do their jobs, to go out and face the danger and to come up triumphant. They could be partners and not worry that there was any doubt that they would take down the evil. Of course this was in their own heads, no other member of the team even blinked at their abilities. It took a hostage situation that only the two of them could diffuse to settle their doubts. They worked perfectly off each other to confuse and penetrate the UnSub's mind, and they pounced when the moment of weakness presented itself. As they flew back to DC that night they shared a silent moment of triumph as they felt the weight lift._

_Rossi didn't need anything from her; he would just nod and give that knowing smile he wore so well._

_Garcia was tough to face, and Emily never thought so until she tried to come up with the right words to say. Penelope had been an array of emotions. Anger for feeling betrayed because Emily couldn't open up to her. Hurt for not at least giving them a chance to know where she was at, both physically and mentally. Maybe if she had been more open Penelope wouldn't have been so frantic. Emily knew she should have been more blunt with what she personally needed, but she really didn't know. Knowing would have meant spending time evaluating her pain and torment and not keeping them tightly tucked away. And if she was going to face them she had no intentions of having a witness to it._

_Garcia had eventually circled the range of emotions and landed on relief and happiness for her to be okay and making progress to be back on the team. The thought of not coming back had never crossed her mind but it worried Penelope. She tentatively had asked her if she was returning, and nearly lost it when Emily didn't hesitate with her response. Garcia feared her family was going to be broken and Emily couldn't deny how close it came. Thomas Reyes had deeply penetrated their armor and compounded that with the still raw events of Foyet, it was understandable. They were all broken in so many ways but together they managed to fill the cracks. Emily made sure Garcia knew she was the light that shown as a reminder that it's not all darkness and gloom. _

_Her and Morgan stood on similar uneven ground that she had with Garcia. He wore his pain clearly no matter how he tried to hide it. He couldn't look at her and avoided more than required work conversations for days. It began to eat at her and she tackled his hurt and anger for not confiding in him the only way she knew how, in a training session. He was hesitant at first to the point, but she wanted him to see she was still the same agent that had his back in the field and could handle what they faced. Plus she figured he could work out his emotional issues physically. It was as much for her as it was for him._

_Donned in protective gear and armed with padded bars they faced each other. He didn't move at first but then like a wave he came down on her. She turned to the side and checked him in the gut with the pogo stick. It was a second of shock and then Derek laughed at the solid shot. As he came up he moved again but faster; the battle had begun. She continual blocked, moved and put all of her weight behind her blows. Neither had gained an upper hand until he connected squarely across the side of her head. The solid contact sent her to the ground, and Derek stopped and was about to call it when she used his hesitation to spring back up and wrap her arms around his knees causing his legs to buckle. She brought him down hard. The impact pushed the air from his lungs and a loud grunt escaped with it. She pushed off him to prepare for more but he remained on his back and began to laugh between attempts to regain his breath. She stood still and smiled down to her friend. He rolled to his side and accepted her hand to get up._

_They sealed the apology over a cold one at their usual hole in the wall pub. She watched Derek take a long pull from his beer. Before she took in her own sip of the hoppy beverage she smiled at him over the rim of the bottle. He returned the expression and extended the neck of his beer towards her. She brought hers down to meet his and with a *clink any remaining tension dissipated._

_Then there was Aaron. That day on the beach had marked the moment of healing but it was still slow. She began to bury it a little more each day, but couldn't help but feel the insecurity sneak up when stressful moments arose in the field or on cases. She had regained her professional self quickly and able to contain any visible signs of weakness. She knew Aaron was watching her as closely as she was him. At those times they would slip all it took was a subtle nod of understanding, a small smile for strength, or a simple word uttered for support. _

_Hotch was right. This time they had won. Even though the evil would always be out there, they couldn't stop. It was a part of them, a need to see a glimpse of light when the good prevailed. Some days the darkness would find a way to sneak past their secure walls and defenses and try to take them under. They were stronger, and were persistent to prove it. The battles would never end, but they would strap their armor on tighter and confidently wield their swords to continue the fight._

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading! A special thank you to Shadpup and RJ Russell for their continual input and push to make the story better!_

_I hope you enjoyed the story and thank you for hanging in with me. Don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts!_


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